Oregon Public Broadcasting

The city of Redmond, in central Oregon, may get a new high school soon, to relieve the district's school overcrowding.

A task force named by the district is recommending the school district ask for a $100 million bond to build a new high school. Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports.

Redmond has, for years, been one of the state's fastest-growing cities.

The city has grown from a town of 6000 people in 1985, to 25,000 now.

And yet, the city continues to send all its high school students to one place.

So, last year the school board named a task force to come up with a growth plan.

With their recommendations in hand, the district will vote February 27th on whether to ask voters to approve a $110 million bond.

The money would split the high school in two.

Cathy Miller is the chair of the school board.

Cathy Miller: “Based on the task force's representation, I feel like they have a tremendous amount of credibility in the community. But I have not come to a decision.”

Besides financial concerns, Miller says city residents also worry a new high school will sever the community.

For one thing, Redmond High has a long and storied athletic history and many locals don't want to lose that.