By Citizens for Quality Education

Corrections of academic deficiencies at Oak Harbor High School (OHHS) must be integrated into a plan of action before we approve a school remodel. Bond supporters appear more interested in facilities and stadiums than providing quality education for our children. The following documented facts clearly indicate a need to address specific academic deficiencies prior to more money being spent on buildings.

1. The SAT is required for admittance to a college or university. Oak Harbor has declining numbers of students taking the SAT: 168 in 2002 versus 134 in 2005. Besides the declining numbers of test takers, SAT verbal and math scores are declining as well. Verbal scores in 2002 were 527 versus 516 in 2005. Math scores in 2002 were 539 versus 518 in 2005. These figures should be a warning flag to everyone concerned about the education of our students.

2. Advanced Placement (AP) classes: 197 students were enrolled in 2004 with only 57 passing the AP test. Only about 27 percent of students received the college credit they were seeking.

3. The University of Washington ranks all high schools in the state of Washington. A five-year UW study compared the average grade point average (GPA) of all high school students entering the UW and their subsequent UW GPA after one year. Oak Harbor High School students had an average entering GPA of 3.73. One year later they had a UW average GPA of 2.93. By comparison, Anacortes High School students had an entering average GPA of 3.56 (below OH) but 3.17 after one year at UW (above OH). According to the UW statistics, Anacortes is rated in the top third of schools while Oak Harbor is rated in the bottom third. Which school’s students are better prepared for advanced education?

4. Oak Harbor administration ranks our dropout rate as 10 percent or below. This however, is based on the senior year only. Nationally, and in Washington State (Departments of Education) the dropout rate is “based on percentages of students in grades 9-12 who leave high school without a regular high school diploma and do not transfer to another school or have been confirmed to leave the state or country.” For the past 7 years, state reports indicate the Oak Harbor High School dropout rate has ranged from 41 percent to 47 percent.

5. Our school district has created multiple pretty designs for the proposed physical remodel of OHHS, but has failed to explain how this remodel would address any of the academic deficiencies cited above. The school district contends that work should occur after they have the money in hand. Other school districts determine their education specifications first. Why not Oak Harbor? Washington state law WAC 180-26-015 states, “Prior to commencing the design phase, the school district shall describe the educational activities that the proposed school facilities and grounds should support and the types of spaces and their relationships in order to accommodate program requirements.” The district has failed to do this. They should be willing to develop the educational specifications up front, as many other school districts do and have done; instead, they want us to give them the money up front without addressing the academic issues at hand.

Before we approve a bond to remodel the OHHS, the school district must integrate a plan to address academic deficiencies into the remodel. Afterwards, they will have little incentive to do so. Vote no on the May 16 bond for OHHS.

Editor’s note

Several critics of the Oak Harbor High School renovation bond proposal have submitted points which we invited Principal Dwight Lundstrom to address. The critics informally call themselves Citizens for Quality Education. These concerns (at left) were submitted by Gary Pursel, Sharon Pursel and Joyce King and are responded to at right by Lundstrom.