Special Districts Services

Education Service Districts: ORS Chapter 334

Assist school districts in achieving Oregon’s educational goals by providing special education programs, cooperative purchasing, audio-visual services, testing, migrant education, and administrative work to all school districts within the Education Service District (ESD), where economies of scale make it more efficient or improves the quality of the services provided.

Community College Districts: ORS Chapter 341

Community colleges are intended to fill the institutional gap in education by offering broad, comprehensive programs in academic as well as professional technical subjects. They are primarily designed to provide associate or certificate degree programs in order to provide students with the ability to enter the workforce immediately and provide a means for continuing education and/or professional technical training.

K-12 School Districts: ORS Chapters 327, 332, 335, 336

Fulfill the criteria, mission, and goals of the State of Oregon in the provision of kindergarten through grade 12 instruction and materials to the pupils that reside within the district. This is done through the development and acquisition of resources and personnel such buildings, administrators, teachers and staff, books, and other materials needed.

Fire and Rescue Districts: ORS Chapter 478

Provide or contract for fire suppression services and facilities. Those that do not contract for service must maintain fire equipment and expand the water supply system through the addition of cisterns and draft sites. Some districts provide rescue services as well.

Park and Recreation Districts: ORS Chapter 266

To construct, reconstruct, alter, enlarge, operate and maintain lakes, parks, recreation grounds and buildings by lease, purchase, gift, devise, condemnation proceedings or otherwise as necessary or proper to pay for and hold the same. Enforce regulations for sanitation, conduct of the users, penalize violators, and compel all residents and owners within the district to connect their houses and habitations with the street sewers, drains or other sewage disposal system.

Domestic Water Supply Districts: ORS 264

Are formed for the purpose of supplying inhabitants of the district with water for domestic purposes and may sell for any use surplus water to persons living outside the district, or to other water districts, school districts, or other local governments.

Cemetery Districts: ORS Chapter 265

Manage and maintain the cemetery grounds and plats lots and blocks within the cemetery.

Water Control Districts: ORS Chapter 553

Are created for the purpose of acquiring, purchasing, constructing, improving, operating and maintaining drainage, irrigation, and flood and surface water control works in order to prevent damage and destruction of life and property by floods, to improve the agricultural and other uses of lands, and to improve the public health, welfare, and safety.

Soil and Water Districts: ORS 568

Primary function is to advise the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) on policy and administration of the state’s conservation programs through surveys, investigations and research relating to the character of soil, erosion, flood and sediment damage, conservation, development, disposal of water, preventative measures and improvements needed. To make available, on such terms as the directors shall prescribe, to landowners or occupiers within the district, agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds, and seedlings and other material or equipment. To construct, operate and maintain such structures as may be necessary or convenient for performance of any of the operations authorized in ORS 568.210 to 568.808 and 568.900 to 568.933. To develop comprehensive plans and specifications for the conservation of soil resources and for the continued control and prevention of soil erosion within the district, and to publish such plans, specifications and information and bring them to the attention of owners and occupiers of lands within the district. To act as agent for the United States or any of its agencies, in connection with the acquisition, construction, operation or administration of any soil conservation, erosion control or erosion prevention project, or combination thereof, within district boundaries. To plan, construct, maintain, manage, administer or control any works of improvement for flood prevention or for the conservation, development, utilization or disposal of water upon lands within their respective districts upon obtaining the consent of the landowner as defined in ORS 568.210, and the land occupier as defined in ORS 568.210, of such lands. To formulate an integrated, coordinated program for the use and control of all water resources of this state and to classify and withdraw water resources of this state under ORS 536.300 to 536.410. [1961 c.640 §1]

Road Districts: ORS 371

A road district can be established for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, and improving roads within an established or newly created district.