School facilities work continues despite strain

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 21, 2026

While day-to-day operations of the Oak Harbor Public Schools’ facilities department are feeling the effects of budget reductions, capital construction and upgrades are well underway across the district.

Director of Facilities Brian Hunt presented information about his department’s school year-to-date at a board meeting on April 13.

The department had to be a “little more choosy” about the projects it took on so far this school year, Hunt said, adding that a reduction of personnel meant being “asked to do the same, if not more, with the same amount of personnel.” But, he added, the department is “managing.”

He reported that the facilities department has completed 2,200 work orders this school year — addressing problems of a range of severity — and maintained 850,000 total square feet of buildings as well as 450 acres of grounds, including sports fields.

Public use of district buildings increased significantly over weekends and during evenings, Hunt noted; use occurred largely in gyms. While these buildings are public facilities, Hunt explained that increased use puts pressure on the department to find and pay staff to maintain them.

Substitutes and custodians are usually drawn on for this work, allowing the department to maintain the buildings without using its “normal, 40-hour staff,” Hunt said.

His observation is particularly relevant given the City of Oak Harbor’s exploration of the feasibility of an indoor recreation center, which could reduce demand for some of the district’s facilities — albeit not for a while. The study kicked off late in March, and is in its early stages.

Additionally, all of the district’s school buildings are larger than 20,000 square feet, meaning they must be compliant with the state’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard by July 1, 2027.

Signed into law in 2019 but expanded upon since, the standard intends to “lower costs and pollution from fossil fuel consumption” in Washington’s existing residential and commercial buildings, according to the state’s Department of Commerce. Compliance deadlines are determined by buildings’ size.

“We have to make a maintenance plan, and we’re going to maintain that energy use,” Hunt explained. “So, it’s not only an initial cost but it’s an ongoing cost too.”

Hunt characterized the standard as beneficial in ensuring energy efficiency, but emphasized the implications for the facilities department.

“It forces us to really pay attention to our buildings and how they operate,” he added. “I do like the concept but it’s something that is going to be expensive.”

Despite budget constraints, the facilities department is the recipient of an abundance of financial support.

“In 30 years of doing this, I’ve never seen a higher number of work that’s been paid for by grants,” Hunt said.

State and federal grants totaling more than $130 million funded construction of the Crescent Harbor Elementary rebuild and the new Forest Vista Learning Center, the facilities department’s two largest projects. The original buildings’ locations on military property and their poor condition qualified them for the money.

Construction began in 2024, and both schools are expected to be open for the 2026-27 school year, Communications Officer Sarah Foy confirmed.

Most recently, construction of a parking lot at Crescent Harbor Elementary got a head start after Hunt and his team took spring break to move two portables from the east side of campus to the west side.

Implementation of “architectural and mechanical” jet noise mitigation features at North Whidbey Middle School is due for completion this year, Hunt reported; Oak Harbor Elementary and Hillcrest Elementary will receive similar upgrades next year.

Olympic View Elementary will undergo similar upgrades “if needed,” Hunt added, a project his department is delaying given the building’s uncertain future. Foy explained the district is “exploring various options” for the school due to its age and some failing infrastructure.

Exposure to a certain decibel of noise created by EA-18G Growlers from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island qualified these schools for federal grants.

Solar panel projects, paid for with a grant received two years ago, are expected to be completed at two elementary schools this summer, Hunt reported. The department upgraded Broadview Elementary’s roof, Hunt said, to ensure a “longer-term investment of those panels.” At Hillcrest Elementary, solar panels are to be installed on a parking canopy.

Further, an inclusive playground at Oak Harbor Intermediate School is set to be completed this summer, and expansion of the Career and Technical Education building is expected to reach “substantial completion” by the end of October, Hunt added.