District Properties

Yes. For the last four years, the School District has worked to come to terms with the City on the sale of Oppenlander property . The School District first approached the City in February 2021 about a possible sale to gauge the City’s interest, and the School District again approached the City about a possible sale after the August 2024 trial.  

The School District’s practice is to conduct multi-million dollar transactions that involve public funds or assets either (a) directly with another public municipality, or (b) utilizing an open and transparent selection process (such as, for example, an RFP or an open-market bid using a real-estate company) where all interested parties have an equal opportunity to submit a bid. Using an open and transparent selection process for private entities reduces the perception of bias and the possibility of future disputes or legal issues.

No. The August trial voided the 2022 Purchase and Sale Agreement.  If the City and the School District reach an agreement for the sale of Oppenlander property, the School District does not intend to request as part of that agreement that the property be subject to Chapter XI of the City’s Charter.

The money from the sale of Oppenlander property will be designated in the School District's Land account (Fund 470) and reserved for a future purchase of school property or capital expense when the School Board determines the time is right. Fund 470 is unrestricted, which means it can also be used for other purposes that the School Board deems are essential or as contingency in the event of any emergency.

The lawsuit concerned a dispute over an appraisal of Oppenlander property. An appraiser issued a report valuing Oppenlander property at $120,000, and the City sought to require the School District to sell Oppenlander property for that price. . In April 2021, the School District had received an appraisal that produced a substantially higher appraised value of $6.5 million. Despite the School District’s request to redo the appraisal, the appraiser refused . After a series of unsuccessful mediation attempts with the City, the School District had no choice but to file a lawsuit to stop the sale from proceeding. The legal proceedings revealed that the then City attorney had prior communications with the appraiser without the School District’s knowledge. 

The jury found in favor of the School District in August 2024, finding (1) the City breached the prior Purchase and Sale Agreement by failing to disclose communications about the property value between the City and the appraiser that preceded the appraiser’s appointment as the parties’ joint appraiser; and (2) the City breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by failing to perform a fair and objective appraisal of Oppenlander property, insisting on enforcing the $120,000 purchase price, and requiring the School District to file the lawsuit in order to cancel the PSA, among other things.

The $120,000 appraisal was the crux of the dispute between the School District and the City.  The School District (and several representatives from the City) did not believe the $120,000 valuation reflected an accurate fair market valuation of Oppenlander property. The School District requested a re-appraisal by the joint appraiser, but the joint appraiser refused to redo his appraisal. The City would not agree to a reappraisal without conditions that were unacceptable to the School District. At one point the City suggested an appraisal process where the City would select an appraiser and the School District would select an appraiser and then average the two appraisals. This suggestion was made following the City’s insistence that the $120,000 appraisal was a fair and accurate reflection of the value of the property. The School District believed the City would use the same appraiser, who would use the same methodology, thereby skewing the average. In response, the School District suggested that the parties select a new joint appraiser. The City rejected that idea. The School District also offered that the previous appraisal of $6.5 million be used as the sales price for Oppenlander property instead. The City had previously used that figure to survey the community and received majority approval for that amount to be included on a ballot. The City rejected that suggestion. The School District offered to remove the “park designation” from the contract if that was what the City believed impacted the low appraisal. This would allow the City to use the property for development, a recreation center, or maintain it as a park. The City rejected that suggestion.  Because the City proceeded to place a measure on the May 2022 ballot to approve the sale of Oppenlander property, the School District had no choice but to litigate to protect the value of Oppenlander property on behalf of the students, staff and families of West Linn, Wilsonville and Tualatin (WLWV boundary).

Yes. The School District Chair approached the City Mayor and a City Councilor in December 2024, after the appeal window had closed. At that meeting, the School District Chair informed the City leaders that the School District remained interested in selling the property to the City for a set sales price. The School District offered the price and conditions of sale through a Letter of Intent (LOI) in January that could have served as a foundation for the City to put together a ballot measure for the purchase of Oppenlander property during the May 2025 election. 

When the City rejected the LOI, the School District again offered the property to the City through a Purchase and Sale Agreement in March 2025.

The School District considers its buildings and grounds as thriving and joyful spaces for community use before and after school hours and is happy to make them available as much as possible. The School District provides the majority of youth recreational spaces in the City of West Linn.

The recent construction of the new Athey Creek Middle School onto Dollar Street in West Linn added more playfield opportunities for youth sports. Two recent sales of School District property to the City of Wilsonville have been for city park and recreation spaces (Meridian Creek and Frog Pond neighborhoods). Additionally, the proposed Capital Bond includes plans to upgrade the field space at Riverside High School (located between West Linn and Wilsonville) for varsity baseball, softball, soccer, and football. This would make more options available for youth sports. 

The School District’s offer to the City to purchase Oppenlander property in February 2021 was in recognition of the community’s value in parks and recreation spaces. The School District only put the property up for sale to the open market when the City declined the purchase offer.

No. The property was purchased as a potential future school site. School Board records and minutes show that the School District purchased the property in 1969 for $40,000 through its General Fund. The General Fund at the time consisted of money collected through property taxes in Wilsonville, West Linn, and a portion of Tualatin, as well as state school funds from the Oregon Department of Education. Over the years, the School District used the property for varsity sports practices and allowed the community to use it for youth sports and general recreation. After the construction of Trillium Creek Primary and Sunset Primary, the School District determined that the property no longer held potential for a future school site. Additionally, the property was no longer used for varsity practices as the School District had installed all-weather turf at Rosemont Ridge Middle School and West Linn High School. In January 2021, the Long Range Planning Committee and School Board deemed it as surplus and approved it for sale.

Immediately thereafter, in February 2021, the School District reached out to City staff to ask if the City was interested in keeping it a park or recreational space for the children of West Linn. After an initial “no” and subsequent community feedback, the City asked the School District to take the property off the open market and sell it to the City. The School District agreed.

No. Only the School Board – in a public meeting and through either a written resolution or formal action (vote) – can codify such an exclusive statement or decision about one of its property assets. There is nothing in writing by the School Board or any vote that verifies this claim. The property was purchased as a future school site. In the interim it was valuable for additional varsity sports practices. Since the School District installed all-weather turf at Rosemont Ridge Middle School (in 2010) and at West Linn High School (in 2003), however, there have been no varsity sports practices at Oppenlander property. It has been used solely by youth sports and the community.

No. The land sales between the City and the School District in 2010 provided a larger parcel of land for rebuilding Sunset Primary School and a parcel of land on Parker Road for the City to build a future police station or aquatic center. The measures (Measures 3-357 & Measure 3-358, May 18, 2010) and agreements did not include any language about the use or future of Oppenlander property. 

Oppenlander property only entered the conversation during the rebuilding plans for Sunset Primary School when some patrons in the community suggested the School District move the rebuild of Sunset to Oppenlander property. Public forums with neighborhood parents revealed opposition to that idea, leading the School Board to continue with plans to rebuild Sunset Primary School on the current site. 

During these Sunset Task Force meetings, the School District made statements  that Oppenlander property was still needed for varsity sports use. However, those circumstances changed soon after the all-weather turf was installed at Rosemont Ridge Middle School and the property was no longer a required space for School District-sponsored practices or events.

The Oppenlander property has been recently re-appraised at a Fair Market Value of $7.875 million. The School Board is willing to sell the Oppenlander property to the City of West Linn at this appraised value, which is non-negotiable. The Letter of Intent sufficiently serves as legal reference for the issuing of a ballot for a capital bond should the City wish to seek out the interest of its voting constituents. An official Purchase and Sales agreement would be drawn up within 20 days of both parties signing the Letter of Intent. 

Yes. This has been the past practice for the WLWV School District and remains that practice. The District recently sold property to the City of Wilsonville (for their future park) at Fair Market Value. The District sold property to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (for a station in West Linn) for Fair Market Value. The District has purchased property in the past from the City of West Linn at Fair Market Value. Even when sales between public entities involved portions of property exchange, the Fair Market Value of the properties was established by both parties and factored into the exchange.

No. The School District purchases property to build schools and facilities for operational and educational programs. It is a city’s responsibility to build and maintain parks and recreational spaces for a community. The Oppenlander property was purchased with district General Fund money (not a Bond) for the purpose of building a future school on that site.

No. Typically the financing of a purchase is a buyer’s responsibility and decision. The School Board will not involve itself in any financial explorations or fundraising activities that the City of West Linn, as the buyer, chooses to undertake.