Eight teachers at Oak Harbor High School don’t have a classroom. When they finish teaching a class, they put their teaching materials on a cart and, along with the 1,600 students, walk to their next class.

That is one of the reasons the Oak Harbor School District is considering a bond measure to pay for a renovation of the high school.

“We have discovered very clearly that we don’t have enough classrooms for teachers,” said Nicole MacTavish, high school vice principal.

The condition of the high school was one of the topics discussed at a public forum held Tuesday night about Oak Harbor School District capital projects.

More than 20 people attended the forum to hear preliminary capital project plans, which call for a high school renovation and construction of new athletic facilities at the high school.

The renovation would be funded by a $48.7 million bond requiring voter approval and $16 million in state match. That bond would pay for additional classrooms, wider hallways, new wiring, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems. It would provide money to improve accessibility.

The group also talked about the proposed $6.5 million athletic facility at the high school. That facility would include a track, field and stadium. The multi-purpose facility would be used by sports teams, PE classes and JROTC. It could also for such events as graduations, said Bob Smithson, school district athletic director. The athletic facility would be funded by a second bond and the Rotary Club’s community donation project.

Memorial Stadium has seen better days. Temporary bleachers have been erected after the original ones were demolished and the playing surface isn’t suitable for post-season play. The high school track team never competes at home.

“I’m tired of being ashamed of the facilities we have here,” Oak Harbor resident Claudia Talmage said during the forum.

One major question that needs answering is how to present the bond issues needed to pay for the projects. Opinions vary on how to best run upcoming bond measures.

The Rotary Stadium Fundraising Coalition has raised $400,000 to help offset costs for a new stadium. Volunteers raising money want two measures to run. One in November solely for the athletic facility and one next spring for the high school renovation.

There are others in the community who want both bonds to run on the same ballot.

During a straw vote at the meeting, 14 people preferred running both issues on the same ballot while four voted for running different ballots.

A similar vote held the night before by the capital facilities committee showed a majority favoring two bonds with the athletic facility going before voters in November and the high school renovation next spring.

Kathy Jones, president of the Oak Harbor School Board, said there has to be a consensus between the groups to move forward with a bond election. She added a decision has to be made soon on bond measures because the price of the project will increase the longer the projects are delayed.

Smithson was one of the people voting for different bond elections. In an interview after the forum, he said the athletic facility is ready to go forward and, if approved, could be ready by the beginning of the 2007 school year. Construction of such a facility would take place while preliminary work is done on a high school renovation project.

He added running separate elections would honor the Rotary’s fund-raising efforts.

Jones said if the school district wants to run a bond for the athletic facility in November, than the school board has to make a decision in late June or early July. If the school board decides to run both proposals in one bond election, than it would go before voters next spring.

People attending the meeting were concerned about how public perception would affect the bonds’ chances.

While the renovation and the athletic facility dominated the Thursday evening public forum, there are a host of smaller projects that need funding. Those needs will be discussed at future capital project committee meetings.

The Oak Harbor School Board will discuss upcoming capital projects at a workshop Monday, June 6, 6:30 p.m., at the Administrative Service Center, 350 S Oak Harbor Street.