Oregon leaders, moms on edge as Wichita Center closure looms

MILWAUKIE, Ore. (KOIN) -- State leaders, moms and others in Clackamas County are growing concerned as the future of the Wichita Center remains up in the air.

Since 2010, the North Clackamas School District has been providing families food, clothing, housing, dental care and after school programs at the Wichita Center in Milwaukie. They work with partners to also house WIC, SNAP, daycare and preschool resources.

But those services could stop in June.

“[Clackamas County commissioners] cannot casually close this center and think we won't fight," said Oregon State Rep. Janelle Bynum.

April Dobson, a director on the North Clackamas School Board, said when the district agreed to swap buildings-for-land in 2018, they paid the county $14 million. In exchange, the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District would own the site but services would continue to operate.

The amended Strategic Partnership agreement approved in March 2018 consists of the following terms:
• School District buys Hood View Park for $18.7M
• Parks District buys Concord Elementary School for $1.59M
• Parks District buys Clackamas Elementary School for $1.7M
• Parks District buys Wichita Elementary School for $1.37M
• Parks District receives approximately $14M in cash equivalents

“A few months ago, we got a notification from the county that they were terminating the intergovernmental agreement for the Wichita Center," Dobson told KOIN 6 News, "and that we were going to have to find a new home for all the services that the Wichita Center houses.”

Clackamas County officials confirmed the school district expressed interest in re-purchasing the site last year before the termination notice.

“I think it just speaks to a fundamental misunderstanding of the needs of Clackamas County that the commissioners would attempt to destabilize these critical services for the folks that need them most," Dobson said.

Deja, whose son has a developmental disability and benefits from the Head Start program and family nights at the Wichita Center, said the pending closure is scary.

"I don’t know what I’m going to do after they're gone," she said. “Luckily, they are able to take care of him so I can work. Without that I’m honestly going to have to quit my job because they won’t be able to accommodate the times I need for him.”

The Wichita Center served more than 7000 families and 12,000 children during the last school year. The transition raised alarms among state representatives like Bynum, who began her career as a parental advocate at the center.

“It's so crucial that it boggles my mind that we would find some other way to deliver those services or drop some of those services by evicting all of the tenants there," Bynum said.

The uncertainty prompted community members on February 29 to call for a quick and fair sale of the Wichita Center back to the school district.

“The Center serves 250 families weekly who rely on the ease and accessibility of the services there," said Pastor Stori Long at that time.

"It has a food pantry and clothes closet, something of significant importance to our district especially given that North Clackamas schools has around 300 students classified as homeless," said a student named Dominic.

“Of course the community is concerned," said bookstore owner Cierra Cook. "There hasn't been transparency and a notice of termination has been served.”

Clackamas County commissioners, who also serve as governors for the Parks District that owns the site, declined KOIN 6 News interview requests. But they maintain no decision has been made. In a joint statement, the Parks and Recreation District and the school district say:

"Administrative staff from the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District (NCPRD) and the North Clackamas School District (NCSD) have begun productive conversations about the future ownership of the Wichita Center Building located at 6031 SE King Road. Both organizations value the services Wichita provides to our community and share a goal for a fair transaction to be able to continue these services."

The county said an independent appraisal of the property has been commissioned and is expected to be presented to both sides in early April. Public meetings will follow.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.