Mt. Hood Community College officially launches bond campaign

Published 9:30 am Friday, February 28, 2025

Mt. Hood Community College means a whole lot of things to a whole lot of people.

When Andrew Speer and his younger brother were adopted, their mom attended the college in the 70s to become a Registered Nurse and secure a job with healthcare — a requisite for the adoption due to Speer’s brother’s health needs.

Later in life Speer attended the college as part of an “unconventional education path.” After being homeschooled, he took MHCC courses as a 16 year old. Following an enlistment in the Marines and deployment to the Middle East, he returned to the college to finish his transfer credits.

“The college meets students where they are at,” said Speer, who is now vice chair of the Mt. Hood Community College Education Board. “This place transforms lives.”

That transformation can be found at Gresham Ford and many other businesses across the region, who are thriving thanks to talented local students coming out of the college.

“I hate taxes, everyone knows that,” said Bess Will, co-owner of Gresham Ford. “But I will be the biggest cheerleader for this bond because the college is so important for all of us.”

“We have not done a good job telling kids how important the trades can be,” she added. “If you don’t think a certificate from a community college matters — it does.”

For Pualani Derman, a natural resources teacher at MHCC, the most rewarding part of the job is bumping into former students doing amazing things — it’s impossible not to stumble over people left and right who attended the college.

“They are decision makers, boots on the ground getting things done,” she said.

Bond Priorities

If approved, the MHCC bond would:

• Establish a Center for Health Professions to address job shortages in healthcare fields
• Modernize science labs and enhance cross-disciplinary training
• Provide up-to-date technology and equipment for job-specific training
• Renovate outdates classrooms and learning spaces
• Replace inefficient heating and cooling systems
• Upgrade computer labs, networks, and hybrid learning technology
• Improve campus safety with seismic retrofitting, fire safety and lockdown upgrades
• Enhance the college’s role as an emergency hub for natural disasters
• Serve online and hybrid learners with improved technology
• Upgrade facilities for accessibility, including elevators and restrooms
• Improve important community amenities like the pool, adding a year-round cover for better usability

Whether you are an alumnus, have a child attending, a star employee who was a Saint, enjoy attending events like stage performances or celestial showcases at the planetarium, or love frequenting a local business filled with current students, Mt. Hood Community College makes a massive impact on the community.

And now the college is asking for help in passing a historic bond.

During a campaign kickoff Thursday evening, Feb. 27, college leaders and local supporters officially launched the (bond), which will appear on ballots during the May Special Election.

“We are all here for the future of Mt. Hood Community College,” said Dr. Lisa Skari, president of the college. “There is no way to get the bond passed without all of us sharing the impact the college has had on us, our families, and community.”

MHCC is asking for a $136 million bond. That is an estimated 25 cents per $1,000 assessed home value, or about $5 per month for the average home owner. The goal is to update the 1970s-era facilities, which are in serious need of modernization and safety upgrades. It’s not just a few leaks in the roof, but critical infrastructure work that has been handled with duct tape and gumption for too long.

“For less than a cup of coffee per month we can keep this far-reaching resource,” Derman said. “When times are tough the support must come from community pulling together.”

The college is taking a no-frills approach, addressing the most urgent needs while minimizing taxpayer costs. If approved, the state of Oregon would contribute $8 million in matching funds.

“The bond is designed with fiscal responsibility in mind and is an affordable investment that will benefit our entire community,” said Board Chair Diane McKeel. “I’m thankful to the hundreds of community members we have met with throughout this past year to put this together.

The strong dose of reality is none of this is going to be easy. Mt. Hood Community College hasn’t passed a bond in more than half a century — the last ones were when the school was initially built.

What makes it all so tricky is how spread the voting district is: all of East Multnomah County, East Portland, Happy Valley, Sandy and the unincorporated mountain communities up to Government Camp, Corbett and the Columbia River Gorge.