The school district’s misinformation campaign apparently has begun. After touring Oak Harbor High School, Ms. Kenworthy’s claims of overcrowding (Soundoff, Feb. 11) appear based on almost completely factually wrong information.

Ms. Kenworthy’s tour of OHHS apparently led her to believe erroneously that the school was built 30 years ago with capacity for only 900 students and that OHHS is now hosting some 1,600 students in that same 900-student school.

According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, OHHS comprises 197,603 square feet with 49 classrooms and capacity for 1,510 students. The office indicates OHHS currently has 1,735 students and projects only 1,604 students by 2,011. In 2011 OHHS would lack room for only 134 students. Noteworthy is the fact that OSPI data for OHHS also includes both 43 full-time Midway High School students and full-time Running Start students, even though none actually attend classes at OHHS.

Moreover, the Winter 2006 edition of the school district’s “School News” makes it appear the school district itself acknowledges capacity for 1,700 students at OHHS: “Oak Harbor High School opened in 1974, built to house 1,200 students . . . in 1991 the school was expanded to include ninth grade, reaching a capacity of, 1,700 students.”

When Director Harring first described adding more square footage to OHHS (New-Times, March 15, 2002) she stated in a “Soundoff” column that the planned remodel expansion intended to add 27,000 square feet and 12 classrooms to OHHS. The current remodel proposal would add 38,000 square feet to OHHS.

Like Ms. Kenworthy, I, too, have toured the OHHS during the school day. The first time I did so was in 1999, when OHHS enrollment had peaked at 1,863 students (OSPI data).

To summarize the facts: OSPI pegs OHHS capacity at 1,510 students. Both full-time Midway High School and Running Start students are counted as being within OHHS, but are not there. OHHS enrollment has declined since 1999, from 1,863 to 1,735 students, projecting only 1,604 students by 2,011. The net square footage additions proposed for OHHS have gone up since 2002, from 27,000 square feet and 12 classrooms, to 38,000 square feet now. 

Others who tour OHHS should be skeptical of most of the alleged facts being presented as such.

William G. Burnett

Oak Harbor