To the editor:

I have strenuously questioned certain aspects of the South Whidbey School District’s bond proposal, mainly whether we really need to build more classrooms and a gym at South Whidbey High to accommodate the middle school students arriving in the Fall of 2012 .

This Saturday at the consolidation meeting in the high school gym, I got answers to my questions. It turns out that one of my fundamental assumptions was flat-out wrong; briefly, the formula OSPI (the state) used to determine how many students could be served in our present complex has holes in it a semi could roll through. In addition, those numbers were predicated on a high school program, not a high and a middle program. Both programs need similar facilities at the same time, an impossibility.

I was very concerned that some of the new building was a sop to those who feel middle schoolers are a different species than high schoolers, and therefore they “need” a physically separate environment.

Turns out, a creative physical design has minimized the expense of separation. (Some of the early separation expenses have been completely eliminated; others have been modified to serve practicality.) (I still think the opportunity for middle schoolers who are strong in a given area to take high school classes is a huge bonus in the coming configuration.)

This new bond will indeed cost much less than the one we are retiring this year, so our taxes will go down.

To me, taxes going down is not enough of a reason to blindly vote for the new bond; I wanted to know WHY we need to spend the money we’re being asked to spend. Very briefly, if we as a community were starving, we could hold classes in the halls, etc. but that wouldn’t serve the students very well, and I know what going cheap would do to real-estate values.

I believe the board has accomplished more than due diligence to come up with the minimum expenditure for a first-rate school system.

Given the horrendous amount of work and talent they have given this community to look at now and in the future for the district, I will be voting for the school bond. It’s a solid investment any way you look at it.

Questions? There’s a website that has some specific info (Southwhidbeyschoolbond@Wordpress.com) or call a board member. (The operational website is the one that begins “2010.”)

Jamie McNett

Clinton