ELECTION GUIDE: Measure 96

What it does: Measure 99 dedicates a portion of lottery proceeds to paying for every Oregon student in fifth or sixth grade to participate in the state’s nearly 60-year tradition of outdoor school.

About half of the pupils in those grades now have access to the residential field science program through a mix of private grants, parent fees and local fundraising.

The measure creates a special reserve for outdoor school and appropriates 4 percent of lottery proceeds, limited to $22 million per year, to that fund. The money is intended to pay for at least one week of outdoor school when students are in fifth or sixth grade. Public and private school systems would obtain $400 per pupil for the program by filing paperwork with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

Proponents tout outdoor school as a way to advance students’ understanding of natural science, develop teamwork and leadership skills and fuel interest in school and certain career paths.

State Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, and economic development associations have opposed the proposal because it diverts money from economic and business development. Economic development now receives about 27 percent of lottery funds to stimulate job creation and retention.

Measure 99 supporters point to a report commissioned by the Gray Family Foundation that indicates the $22 million annual investment will yield about $27 million in economic activity, including support of 600 full-time jobs mostly in rural parts of the state where the outdoor camps are located.

Oregon is the first state to vote on funding outdoor education for all students. The measure’s supporters launched an initiative petition process to dedicate funding for the program, after state lawmakers set up the framework for a statewide outdoor school program in 2015 but declined to give it a reliable funding source.

Endorsements in support: Save Outdoor School for All, Gov. Kate Brown, Kaiser Permanente, Oregon Public Health Institute, Care Oregon and Upstream Public Health, Nike Inc. and Keen Footwear

Endorsements in opposition: State Sen. Betsy Johnson.