Following the failure of the South Whidbey School District’s $80 million bond, the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District has decided to push its own bond request out further than previously planned.

The parks and rec district has proposed a bond for the construction of a public pool facility, which has long been anticipated on the South End. What that bond amount will be, however, depends on if the state legislature funds a portion of the project and how much grants and private donors contribute.

The parks and rec commissioners previously floated $27 million as a possible number, which is a rate increase of 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or about $7 a month for someone who owns a home that is valued at $500,000.

During its May meeting, the parks and rec board discussed delaying the bond request, from the November 2023 general election ballot to the April 2024 special election ballot. The primary reason behind this switch seemed to be because the school district may ask voters to approve its bond again on the November ballot.

In an email to The Record, Jo Moccia, the school district’s superintendent, said the school board will be discussing the bond on June 14 at its workshop meeting.

The parks and rec board considered some positives of waiting to put the bond on the ballot, such as more complete design materials and more time to get additional monetary commitments from donors. The commissioners agreed that they did not want to have to split the ballot with another bond from a different entity.

In the end, they unanimously decided to move the pool bond to the April 2024 special election ballot.