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To: Superintendents, Business Managers, School Facility Managers, K-12 Public Information Officers
From: Office of School Facilities
Date: June 26, 2024
Re: Upcoming Deadline: OSCIM Program Due Dates for November 2024 Election
Dear Superintendents,
We look forward to partnering with you as we foster equity and excellence for every learner.
We're writing to update you about the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) Program and relay some key upcoming deadlines.
The state has over $123 million available as OSCIM Grants for the current biennium. Districts seeking a bond in the November 2024 election should be aware of these key deadlines.
Key Deadlines
Monday, July 1, 2024
- Please submit your district’s Facility Assessment report(s) and Long-Range Facility Plan to ODE.SchoolFacilities@ode.oregon.gov by no later than the close of business.
- If your district completed the Facility Assessment and Long-Range Facility under the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) in 2020 or later, please send us an email by the due date, July 1, 2024, to let us know of your district’s intention to apply to the OSCIM Program for this year’s November election.
Monday, July 15, 2024
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OSCIM Grant Applications submitted to ODE.SchoolFacilities@ode.oregon.gov
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To be considered for First-in-Time, your district’s application must be received between the hours of 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Monday, July 15, 2024. We encourage all districts to submit their application during this time frame.
- Applications must be submitted no earlier than 8:00 AM and no later than 5:00 PM on the due date.
Priority List and Funding Formula 2023-25
The OSCIM Program’s Priority List and Funding Formula for the 2023-25 biennium have been updated to reflect the recent passage of Senate Bill 285 by the Legislature which increased the minimum and maximum grant amounts to $6,000,000 to $12,000,000 respectively. This law became effective on January 1, 2024. For more information, see the program’s Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please email us at ODE.SchoolFacilities@ode.oregon.gov or call Leanna Heiman, OSCIM Program and TAP Administrator at 971-208-0336.
Office of School Facilities
Oregon Department of Education
Overview of the OSCIM Program
The OSCIM Program is a grant program to incentivize school districts and their communities to pass local general obligation (GO) bonds for school improvements. Funding commitments are made to districts with a successful application in advance of the election. The OSCIM Program will provide matching grants to districts upon successful passage of their bond measure. Most districts will qualify for a $6 million matching grant from ODE if they pass at least $6 million in local GO bonds. Some districts will qualify for up to $12 million in matching grants from ODE if they pass at least $12 million in local GO bonds.
The OSCIM program’s funding commitments are based on two lists. The Priority List takes into consideration districts with low assessed values and high poverty rates to rank them in order of greatest need. This gives districts at the top of the list the greatest chance of receiving a matching grant when they are ready to go for a local GO bond. Funding based on the Priority List makes up 66 percent of the overall OSCIM Program fund. The other 34 percent of the overall fund is awarded based on the First-in-Time (FIT) Program.
The FIT Program is a lottery process that awards funds based on when a district submits its application. All districts that submit their application between 8:00 AM and 12:30 PM on the due date qualify for First-in-Time. If there are not enough funds to cover all of the applications submitted for an application period, a lottery will be used to determine which of the districts will receive funding. A district only needs to submit one application to be considered for both sources of funding. Funds may be awarded from the Priority List, First-in-Time, or a combination of both.
Districts looking to apply for OSCIM Program funding but are not ready to pass a GO bond may consider applying for a Technical Assistance Program (TAP) grant. The program provides funding to assist with completing the required Facilities Assessment and Long-Range Facility Plan.
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