Sherwood School Board Recap | April 13, 2026
School board increases tax, postpones K-2 social science materials
SHERWOOD, Ore. – The Sherwood School Board met Monday, April 13.
Board Chair Harmony Carson, Board Vice Chair Abby Hawkins, and directors Matt Kaufman and Matt Thornton were all present. Director Hans Moller was absent.
Sherwood High School’s Mean Girls production is slated for April 17th, 18th, 23rd, and 25th at 7 p.m. There’s also a matinee showing scheduled for 2 p.m. on April 18. Get tickets online here.
There was no public comment.
The next school board meeting is slated for May 11, a date which is also scheduled to include the first official Budget Committee meeting.
Action items
The school board voted to postpone the K-2 elementary social science instructional materials.
Postponing the adoption for one year is intended to allow staff to create and prepare local Sherwood and Oregon resources into the scope and sequence of materials, as well as explore other resources.
The Elementary K-2 Social Science instructional materials adoption is now slated for fall 2027.
Superintendent update
Superintendent Aaron Downs said the band placed first and the choir placed second at the OSAA Pacific Conference, which qualifies them for the state competition.
The dance team won first in Hip-Hop for the third year in a row, and second in pom at the OSAA Dance and Drill 2026 state competition.
Consent agenda
The school board approved the consent agenda.
Items included the approval of a bus purchase, personnel adjustments, and a construction excise tax increase.
The bus purchase was formerly approved by the board in November, 2025, but district staff is now recommending a change from a 77-passenger bus to a 21-passenger special education bus. The cost for the special education bus is $179,186 — about $24,000 less than the former proposal. An additional 24-passenger bus for $165,836 is still part of the equation.
As for personnel, three teachers submitted notifications of their retirement; one resigned; and one submitted a leave of absence for the 2026-27 school year.
Tax increase
The 2025-26 construction excise tax was $1.67 per square foot for residential properties; which will now increase by three cents to $1.70 in 2026-27. The non-residential rate increases from 84 cents to 85 cents; and the non-residential maximum increases from $41,800 to $42,400.
The district implemented the Construction Excise Tax in 2008 by passing a resolution authorizing the tax. The initial rates set by the statute were $1 per square foot for residential properties, and $.50 per square foot for commercial properties. The commercial property maximum tax per building was $25,000.
The district has entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Cities of Sherwood, Tualatin, and Wilsonville, and the three counties within the District boundaries, to collect the tax on behalf of the district. The agreements all have a section that allows the district to change the fee in accordance with the statute by resolution.
Information and discussion
The board discussed the elementary social science instructional materials; the elementary health instructional materials; and an audit review.
The independent audit found the district meets the state minimum standards except one typo on transportation miles; found no issues of non-compliance and no questioned costs; and gave a clean opinion.
