Morrow County Design Advisory Committee begins review of schools
By Terry Murry on Friday, January 30th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MORROW COUNTY — (News release from Morrow County School District) The Morrow County School District Design Advisory Committee (DAC) began its review of floor and site plans for each of the district’s three school projects at its January 20 meeting at Heppner Junior/Senior High School.
SĀJ Architecture presented the preliminary designs developed using feedback gathered during earlier DAC meetings, results from an educator survey, and direct conversations with school leadership. The collaborative planning process for modernization projects will ensure the voter-approved bond projects meet the needs of each school and community. The committee includes school staff, students, and community members from Boardman, Irrigon, Lexington, and Heppner.
Following the presentation, DAC members divided into school-specific working groups. SĀJ’s engagement team guided participants through more than 25 realistic educational and operational scenarios, allowing committee members to “stress test” the proposed plans from the perspectives of various building users, including students, teachers, and community members.
“Working alongside the other two communities and the architectural team has encouraged us to think about our school in new ways, especially through activities that asked us to consider the perspectives of students, staff, and community members,” said Addie Cole, teacher at Irrigon Junior/Senior High School. “It has been a meaningful, collaborative process focused on creating a school that truly reflects and serves our community.”
“Our design process is iterative,” said Jonah Jensen, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Assoc. DBIA, Principal Architect with SĀJ Architecture and lead designer for the Irrigon Junior/Senior High School project. “The group exercise helped us both confirm design decisions and identify areas to improve as we continue to refine each school’s floor and site plan.”
The next DAC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 at Irrigon Junior/Senior High School. For more information about the bond visit mcsdbond.org.
Photo of DAC meeting at Heppner Junior/Senior High School provided by Morrow County School District
