“The Oak Harbor school board decided Wednesday evening to forgo placing the sports facility bond issue on the November 2001 ballot. Instead the board will study and consider combining the sports facility and high school remodeling into one package in a May 2002 bond election.The two projects combined would cost more than $20 million, school officials said.The board listened to information from district officials, who said they anticipate a cost savings if the two projects are completed at the same time. One architect and one contractor would be able to work on both projects, as opposed to paying additional architectural and construction costs by keeping the projects seperate, said Gary Goltz, school district construction supervisor.Asked by the board how much more the projects would cost if done individually, Goltz said he did not have that information figured out, but that a million dollars in additional costs is probably a conservative estimate.Kathy Chalfant, who rallied for public support of the most recent school levy issues with the group Citizens for Better Schools, is now on the newly formed Levy Oversight Committee. At the Wednesday meeting, Chalfant voiced concern that during the last campaign, which culminated in the March 13 special election, voters were told that the high school remodeling would not be placed before them on the ballot until 2003 at the earliest. Kathy Jones, school board president, said she does not have a problem with asking the Oak Harbor voters to consider the dual project next May.The statements made during the last campaign were based on information at that time, Jones said. The board has learned some valuable lessons from the current projects under way in the district, and the board should use that new information to not make the same mistakes, Jones said at the meeting Wednesday.There are are some important reasons to combine the two projects into one and place it on the ballot next May, Jones said.The state superintendent of schools has authorized the use of the old North Whidbey Middle School as an interim site only until the current school remodeling projects are complete. The sooner the high school remodeling is under way, the better the chance that the state superintendent will allow Oak Harbor School District to use the site as an interim site for the high school remodeling as well, Jones said. This will save money by not having to rent quite so many portable classroom buildings during the high school remodeling.Secondly, the poor condition of the stadium and the track at the high school demonstrates the need to accelerate the sports facility project, Jones said. The track, in particular, is dangerous to student athletes, she said.And third, Jones said, the high school is in need of a new transformer. The district can replace the transformer at a cost of $600,000, and would still need to remodel the high school within the next few years. Instead, Jones said she thinks the school remodeling should take place sooner, thereby eliminating the need to replace the transformer now. The transformer replacement by itself doesn’t qualify for state matching funds, Jones said, but in combination with the remodeling project it would. The district would receive back 70 percent of the $600,000 pricetag.While the board didn’t take any decisive vote on the project at the meeting Wednesday evening, district officials said they believe the board will formally decide to go for the two project on the May 2002 ballot, once all information is provided to the board.The district this summer will be able to hire an architect to conduct a survey and study of the high school. The state will pay for the survey and study. The information gathered in the study will give district and board officials alike the necessary information to help make the final decision on the school remodel, said Rick Schulte, Oak Harbor School District superintendent.You can reach News-Times reporter Christine Smith at csmith@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611 “