The South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District has found a new location for its administrative offices.

Last year, parks and rec staff were notified by Island County officials that the county intended to terminate their lease at the end of 2024. County staff plan to move into the offices and use them for their own purposes.

Since then, the parks and rec district has signed an agreement with the South Whidbey School District for the rental of space at the former south campus of the elementary school. The new lease begins Sept. 1 but it will likely take staff about a month to get settled at the new location across the street. Monthly rent for the use of two classrooms is $1,300.

When the topic came up during a meeting of the district’s board of commissioners last week, Executive Director Brian Tomisser said that the district has budgeted $10,000 for moving costs. As part of the deal with the school district, parks and rec staff will provide maintenance of the grounds at the front of the campus.

“We will have a much larger office space at the school, for almost the exact same price we are paying Island County at our current location,” Tomisser said in an email.

The move is a temporary one. Once the new aquatic recreation center is built, parks and rec staff will relocate to the building, which will have room for administrative offices. The facility is currently anticipated to open to the public in late 2026 or early 2027, according to the district’s website.