eeks $6.5 million

By NATHAN WHALEN

Staff Reporter

Oak Harbor School District voters have rejected five bond elections over the years that would have funded construction of a new athletic facility.

School officials hope the sixth time is the charm when another bond goes before voters.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, they will decide whether to approve a $6.5 million bond for new athletic facilities at Oak Harbor High School. Plans call for construction of a competition-quality track, football field with an artificial surface and bleachers for 3,000 people complete with a rain cover.

Plans also call for refurbishing the baseball fields, soccer practice field and tennis courts.

“Our goal is to have a first class stadium,” Superintendent Rick Schulte said during Tuesday’s School Board meeting. He said the artificial surface will provide year-around use for the field which is expected to be heavily utilized.

While the facility will provide a decent place for football, soccer and track teams to compete, it can also be used for physical education classes, marching band practice, JROTC and graduation ceremonies.

“What we’re really approving is an outside classroom,” said school board member Vicki Harring.

The board’s unanimous vote to send the issue to the ballot Nov. 8 ended debate over whether to present one or two proposals to the voters. Some school backers wanted the high school renovation on the same ballot, but those favoring separate elections prevailed.

Plans for the athletic facility were pared down from previous efforts for a variety of reasons.

In an interview after the meeting, Schulte said it was decided to reduce the cost of the athletic facilities after the bond proposal in 2003 which was rejected by voters. The facility might have a better chance at passing if costs were tightened up.

Since 2003, the school district has also seen increases in construction costs. Schulte cited several factors for the increase ranging from building material and labor costs to the high amount of construction in the projects they choose.

Construction inflation was 12 percent last year, 10 percent this year and is projected at 5 or 6 percent next year, Schulte said.

To resolve this problem, officials reduced the cost of the athletic facility by approximately $5 million from the original proposal. One notable change lies with the bleachers which were downgraded from concrete to aluminum. Schulte said that saved millions of dollars in costs.

“There’s no fat in this at all,” Schulte said of the new proposal.

The bulk of the money will go to Memorial Stadium located on Whidbey Avenue. Memorial Stadium is falling apart. The old wooden bleachers were considered unsafe and removed two years ago. While still used for home soccer and football games with temporary bleachers, the facility doesn’t meet standards for post season play. Oak Harbor fans have to travel many miles for “home” playoff games.

The athletic facilities plan is one of two projects school officials hope to pay for through bond elections in the next year.

They hope voters will also approve a second bond funding a renovation of Oak Harbor High School. That bond, which would go before voters next spring, would cost an estimated $49 million.

Should voters approve both bonds, then property owners would pay and additional 91 cents per $1,000 assessed value on their homes. The tax rate for the athletic facilities would be between 11 cents and 13 cents, officials estimate. It would be higher except that the Oak Harbor Rotary Club is hoping to raise $1 million in private funds to offset the stadium costs. So far they have received some $400,000 in donations. Rotary members strongly favored an up-or-down vote on their proposal alone in November.

The property tax rate for the high school renovation is expected to be between 78 cents and 80 cents.

Even though the two bond elections will take place months apart, Schulte said both projects will be tied together to save money. As presently envisioned, both projects hinge on the success of the athletic bond in November.