In two months, voters will have the chance to decide whether or not to approve a bond proposed by the South Whidbey School District.
Members of the South Whidbey School Board unanimously agreed during a meeting Wednesday night to move forward with an $80 million bond that will appear on the April 25 ballot. The bond spans a period of 20 years and has a rate of 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, which amounts to a monthly property tax increase of $29.08 for someone with a home valued at $500,000.
The bond would fund maintenance and improvements for K-12 facilities, such as a roof replacement, inclusive playground equipment, updated ADA-compliant restrooms, a covered walkway, track and stadium upgrades, siding and window replacement and re-paving of parking lots, among other things.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Dan Poolman said the school district is planning for inflation escalation, and thus built it into construction costs.
Superintendent Jo Moccia shared the results of a survey about the bond, which garnered 380 responses. People were asked what they think the greatest need facing the district is, and the top issues they prioritized on the survey were modernizing aging facilities, refreshing the schools’ appearances and updating building infrastructure.
About two-thirds of respondents stated they would say “yes” to supporting the proposed bond. More information is available under the “Bond 2023” header on the school district website, sw.wednet.edu/.
The school board last approved a bond in 1992, which was paid off in 2010.
Moccia said the goal is that major projects, like replacing the roofing and siding of the building that currently houses middle school and high school students, can be done over summer break. She’s fielded many questions about the upcoming changes for sixth grade students, who will move to the middle school campus located at the high school next year. One of the proposed projects under the bond would be to create separate, clearly marked entrances for middle school and high school students.
Board Member Marnie Jackson, who attended South Whidbey High School during the last renovation in the 1990s, quipped that she hoped her future grandchildren – should they be raised on South Whidbey – wouldn’t have to tell people their school was last remodeled when their grandmother went there.
Public comment during the meeting was sparse. A couple citizens did express concerns about the cost of the bond not being specific enough. During past workshops and meetings, Moccia has explained that the school district is not able to take bids on construction projects until the bond has been approved by voters.
