MORROW COUNTY, Ore.-Voter approved bond projects in the Morrow County School District (MCSD) are underway with the installation of safety improvements at two elementary schools and pre-construction work continuing in Irrigon, Boardman and Heppner.
Morrow County voters approved a $204.4 million bond to fund replacement of Irrigon Junior/Senior High School, renovation of Riverside Junior/Senior High School, and for the renovation and conversion of the Heppner Jr/Sr High building into a K-12 campus, in the May 2025 Special Election.
“It’s exciting to see these projects moving from ideas on paper into their final form,” said MCSD Superintendent Matt Combe. “I want to thank the Design Advisory Committees and everyone who has given feedback. We are building a beautiful, functional, safe space where our students, staff and community can grow together.”
New secure entry doors, windows and security cameras are now in place at Irrigon Elementary and Windy River Elementary, and the final storefront entryway will be delivered and installed in September, according to the MCSD.
Safety and security improvements at Sam Boardman Elementary School, Morrow Education Center and A.C. Houghton Elementary School will start in June 2027.
According to the MCSD, the work at Sam Boardman Elementary will also include improvements to the bus loop and parking area to better separate bus, parent and pedestrian traffic.
Replacement of Irrigon Junior/Senior High School is the first of the MCSD’s major projects, with construction slated to begin in 2027.
The Irrigon Design Advisory Committee (DAC) made up of students, staff, parents, and community members held its final meeting Sept. 9, making decisions about exterior and interior finishes, and SĀJ Architecture also met with school staff to gather final feedback about how the building will function day to day, according to MCSD.
District representatives, along with representatives from Wenaha Group and SĀJ Architecture will present the project plans and answer questions before the local planning commission on Oct. 1.
Riverside staff participated in three days of design workshops with SĀJ Architecture during in-service week, using modular planning tools to explore layouts and provide feedback directly to the design team.
The Boardman DAC continued working on the design for the renovation of Riverside Junior/Senior High School during its Aug. 25 meeting, focusing on the main entrance, athletics entrance and student commons area.
Priorities identified by the DAC, include comfortable gathering areas for students near the main entrance and a visual connection to the library.
According to the MCSD, in regard to the athletics entrance the committee discussed traffic flow, ticketing and concessions, restrooms, trophy displays, and recognition of the Riverside Alumni Hall of Fame.
Planning for the renovation and conversion of the Heppner Junior/Senior High School into a K-12 campus is also moving forward, with Fowler Construction joining SĀJ Architecture, Wenaha Group and the district project team.
The team held a kickoff meeting during in-service week to review the site, preliminary designs and construction considerations.
Fowler will now begin developing cost estimates based on the early design work, according to MCSD.
SĀJ Architecture also met with Heppner K-12 staff to review preliminary plans, discuss the project timeline and answer questions.
The Heppner DAC will continue its work in October with a school tour. The Heppner project is currently scheduled for construction in 2028 and 2029.
More information about MCSD bond projects, including timelines and updates, is available online.
