School bond update brings up restrooms again

Published 1:30 am Friday, January 23, 2026

Construction is moving along steadily on buildings in the South Whidbey School District, according to district officials and representatives from the firm leading the project.

A massive renovation project is underway at the elementary school, middle school and high school campuses, funded by a $80 million bond passed by voters in 2023.

At a South Whidbey School Board meeting last week, a presentation discussed the progress of the major project, which is expected to wrap up by the end of 2027. As part of that, students and staff recently celebrated the opening of a new inclusive playground at the elementary school, which has inviting features accessible to all children.

At the combined middle school and high school campus, the focus has been on roofing replacement, exterior renovations including addition of new masonry, preparation for metal siding and installation of new windows, and interior renovations including locker rooms, the main office and athletic storage room, according to a press release from Superintendent Becky Clifford.

“This project is about delivering on our commitment to provide safe, modern, and inspiring spaces where our students can thrive,” Clifford said in the release. “Every decision we’re making keeps student learning and their future experience at the center.”

Students and staff will remain on both campuses during construction, temporarily moving to portable classrooms and underutilized building space.

The meeting last week also included an update on the location of gender-neutral restrooms at the middle school and high school, which became a hot topic a few months ago that was used in the unsuccessful campaign of a candidate running for a position on the school board. Design images showed there will be both traditional gendered restrooms – boys and girls – as well as all-gender restrooms. Both options have full-height partitions separating each toilet compartment and an area for handwashing that’s visible from the hallway that meets supervision needs. As part of the remodel, urinals have been eliminated from the bathrooms.

Gwendy Gabelein, who ran against incumbent Ann Johnson on the school board and lost in the last general election, criticized the plan and said the community was not involved in the conversation. She claimed to have gathered 300 signatures from community members who are against the plan, although not all of them currently have children within the school district.

“A lot of students left, first day of school, a little bit besides themselves,” Gabelein said. “It’s just a new concept, and shoving it down people’s throats is not a way to introduce a new concept.”

John Patton, the high school principal, said regardless of gender, students want privacy and that’s why the floor-to-ceiling, single-stall layout is perfect. Kayla Phillips, the middle school principal, pointed out that teachers currently only have access to one staff bathroom located downstairs that’s difficult to access during a five-minute passing period, and the renovation will allow them to use a restroom just a few steps from their classroom.

Student representatives on the board spoke to the importance of gender-neutral restrooms, noting that the majority of the student body is aware of their addition to the plan and that they benefit everyone. School board members also had input to provide.

“I think we have been very clear that we have heard you, and the answer is no,” Board Member Andrea Downs told Gabelein.

Gabelein also had questions about monitoring the restrooms and responding to students in a mental health crisis, to which Clifford affirmed that staff are prepared and will have access.