Pendleton School District Long-Range Facility Planning
About the Committee
Pendleton School District serves about 2,760 students across seven schools and more than 670,000 square feet of buildings. Some of those buildings are more than 60 years old. To keep these spaces safe, functional, and ready for the next generation of learners, the District has formed the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee. It is an advisory group of about 25 parents, community members, business owners, and other stakeholders. It also includes two student representatives, a representative from each employee group, and two non-voting School Board members. The Committee meets once a month in the evening on District campuses, and it will deliver its final recommendation to the District on or before August 15, 2027.
The Committee’s charge is to recommend a comprehensive long-term facility plan grounded in technical analysis and broad input from the community. Members will build on the District’s recent Facility Condition Assessment by Bureau Veritas. They will review building conditions, safety, current and projected enrollment, school capacity, and the program spaces students need, from academics, the arts, and career and technical education to special education and athletics. The Committee will put the most urgent needs first and work to reduce differences in the quality of facilities across schools. It will favor practical, durable solutions that lower long-term maintenance costs, and it will consider the District’s debt capacity with the goal of minimizing the impact on taxpayers. Where feasible, members will also look at community partnerships, outside funding sources, lower-cost alternatives, and energy-saving practices.
The Committee’s work will be open and collaborative. Meeting materials and progress updates will be posted on this page. Throughout the process, staff, students, families, and community members will have many chances to share their perspectives through surveys, focus groups, and community meetings, and that input will shape the Committee’s recommendation. The Committee is advisory, and its final plan will go to the Superintendent and School Board for consideration. The District is supported in this work by its planning consultant, Consertus, in partnership with HMK Company.
Committee Members
Andrew Hallman – Parent/Judge
Beth Harrison – Parent/PSD Board Member
Brad Spencer – Parent/CTUIR Tribal Gaming Commission
Brian Norris – Parent/PSD Facilities Manager
Cheryl Viola – Pendleton Chamber of Commerce President
Chris Thatcher – Parent/Young Life Director
Danielle Blanc – PAT Representation/PHS Teacher
Debbie McBee – Past PSD Board Member/Community Member
J.D. Kindle – Oregon East Symphony/Rotary President
Jameson Hayes – Parent/Legal
Jared Pace – PHS Student
Jennifer Colton-Jones – Parent/City of Pendleton
Jennifer Currin – Parent/Legal
Jessica Hardy – Parent/Risk Mitigation
Joey Mulvihill – Parent/Finance
Liam Hughes – Pendleton Parks and Rec Director
Liesl Follett – Parent/OSEA President
Marcus Luke II – Parent/CTUIR Tribal Housing Dept
Marie Hall – Pendleton Foundation Trust Board Member
Mark Browning – BMCC President
Mary Sara Wells – Community Member/SPLASH Board Member
Michael Stensrud – Parent/Umatilla County Health
Michelle Jensen – PSD Superintendent
Michelle Jones – PSD Director of Business Services
Mike Somnis – PHS Athletic Director
Pat McClintock – Community Member/Altrusa
Patrick Gregg – Parent/PHS Board Member
Shawn Towne – Happy Canyon Director/Budget Committee Member/Industry
Steve Chrisman – Pendleton Economic Development Director
Steve Umbarger – Community Member/PSD Past Board Member
Tom Demianew – Community Member/Natural Resource Soil Conversation
Travis Larsen – Community Member/Religious
Valerie Kreps – Parent
Wendy Sorey – Retired PSD Teacher
Committee Meeting Information & Materials
Coming Soon
Committee Charge
Purpose
The Pendlet
on School District requests that the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee (LRFPC) convene regularly to complete the work necessary to deliver long-term facility planning recommendations for administration and Board consideration. The Committee will conduct the technical review, engagement, and analysis required to support those recommendations.
The Committee is tasked with delivering a final report to the District on or before August 15, 2027. The recommendation will consist of a long-range capital programming plan, grounded in technical analysis and broad staff and stakeholder input, that addresses the Committee’s Charge and aligns with community priorities. Over the course of its term, the Committee will report regularly on its progress to the District and School Board through the consultant, Committee Chair, or others as necessary.
Basis for Establishment
The Committee is established as an administrative advisory committee to the Pendleton School District. The LRFPC will work in collaboration with the District’s consultant, under the guidance of the Superintendent/ designee.
Committee Members
The LRFPC will be comprised of a broad representation of approximately 25 community members, parents, and stakeholders; two school board representatives (observing/non-voting); a representative from each employee group union; 2 student representatives; the Superintendent (non-voting); and necessary administrative and/or support staff (non-voting). Appointments to the Committee are made by the Superintendent.
If a member resigns or is unable to continue, the Superintendent/designee may appoint a replacement to maintain broad representation through the duration of the Committee’s term.
Responsibilities of Committee Members
- Regular meeting attendance
- Respectful and collaborative interactions with fellow Committee members, consultants, and District staff
- Serve as positive ambassadors for the District
- Compliance with applicable Board policies, administrative procedures, and District guidelines
Meetings
Meetings will typically be held monthly, in the evening, on dates to be identified once Committee members are selected. Meetings will take place on District campuses and last approximately two hours.
Communication and Decision-Making
- The Committee will select a Chair and Vice-chair from among its voting members, who will support the consultant and Superintendent/designee as needed.
- As an advisory committee to the Superintendent, the Committee does not hold authority to obligate District funds or direct staff.
- Meeting artifacts and Committee accomplishments will be transparent, communicated widely, and posted on the District’s website.
- The Committee will work to understand divergent viewpoints and seek to achieve consensus when possible.
Committee Charge
The Pendleton School District charges the Committee to use the following criteria in developing its long-range facility plan recommendation. The Committee’s recommendation must:
- review and build upon the work, findings, and recommendations from the District’s Facility Condition Assessment performed by Bureau Veritas
- identify facility needs, prioritizing the most urgent capital needs first
- address safety considerations and consider incorporating a third-party safety audit and recommendations
- address current and projected student enrollment, building capacity and program needs
- make every effort to ensure student and staff learning/teaching and support environments meet standards (e.g., academic, fine/performing arts, CTE/vocational, SPED, other programming)
- review athletic and activity facility improvements that address program need, and promote student access, safety and community use
- explore inequities among District facilities, with the goal of reducing those disparities where practical
- include near-term and long-term facility planning considerations with the goal of developing a comprehensive 20-year facility plan
- consist of pragmatic solutions that promote longevity, durability, and lower long-term maintenance and upkeep costs
- include broad, deliberate opportunities for input from staff, students, parents, and community stakeholders
- when appropriate, capitalize on current infrastructure and historical community investment
- review outstanding debt capacity and strive to minimize impact to taxpayers
When feasible, the Committee’s recommendation should also:
- explore partnerships with local organizations that capitalize on cooperative spaces and shared needs
- research outside funding streams and opportunities to decrease local and/or District costs
- leverage facility best practices and third-party experts to support the validity of recommendations
- provide lower-cost alternatives that do not compromise core facility and learning goals
- incorporate energy efficiencies and other sustainable practices to reduce long-term operational costs
Timeline
The Committee’s work will sunset following delivery of its recommendation to the District on or before August 15, 2027.