The bond proposal to improve our school capital facilities has passed with 73 percent approval. The Vashon Island School District board works hard to understand the needs and desires of our community — the school community and the greater island community. In any community with diverse resources and needs, it is rare that a solution is reached that is favorable to three out of four people.

Those who would like a more aggressive plan supported this with thoughts of “it is a good step in the right direction.” Others concerned with appropriate stewardship and maintenance can acknowledge the track design is dated to the point that it is unusable by league standards: It is time to update. Those committed to fully utilizing resources can agree with sentimental graduates from the original brick high school that updating and repurposing the building is a preferable rebirth to demolition. And, those with tight budgets can appreciate the proposal avoids raising tax bills. Through compromise, we have something for almost everyone, and have minimized elements unacceptable to others.

The voice of the community was essential. Thank you for sharing your ideas and concerns. Through lessons of the previous bond attempt and input from various island sub-groups, we developed a better idea of the “gotta haves” and “can live withouts.” With extensive debate and some bantering, we got here.

So now the excitement begins. We have initiated planning and will begin to see the benefits of the bond by the fall. Bond-funded work slated for this summer includes new roofs for the old brick building next to the pool and the high school gym, updates on the grandstand, a covering for the preschool/kindergarten playground and paint for a number of buildings.

Next fall, we will be planning and ordering the updated furniture for Chautauqua and McMurray with delivery expected next winter or spring.

Planning for the larger construction projects will ramp up next fall. Permitting will take the winter and into spring. During the summer of 2018, we will see renovation projects on McMurray’s locker rooms and windows and the Link program’s K building. Construction of the ADA access to the grandstands, the new maintenance building and, of course, the new track and field are all slated for the summer of 2018.

Fall of 2018 will usher in a new era.

But capital facilities is only one of the many topics the school board addresses. To ensure continued success, we welcome your thoughts on our priorities for other work next year. In response to community requests, the board has committed to create a culture and practice of racial equity in our district. We are working on a pilot proposal to create gender-neutral bathrooms. Additionally, we are discussing program improvements for kids not attending a four-year college or university.

Effective and diverse career and technical education (CTE) programs are as essential as ever. Many of our graduates pursue a college degree, but nationally, roughly 50 percent will not complete a degree. In those cases, our high school CTE is a critical launch pad. Opportunities and needs for CTE programs are always evolving, so allocating resources for deeper assessment of needs is under consideration.

Our mission statement and supporting documents was thoughtfully developed over five years ago by the generous volunteer work of district administrators, teachers, board members and numerous citizens. It is a great guide for us, but at a recent board leadership meeting, we realized that we lack a clear common definition and measure of success. Also, there are a variety of ideas of how to best utilize the high-level components and update the boots-on-the-ground strategies and action items. Clarifying these issues and aligning our efforts will pay dividends, but will take resources.

So, thank you for all the support at the ballot box, participating with thoughtful input, and the many other avenues of support. Please, keep up the good work. Together we continue to enrich our schools and this island we call home.

— Steve Ellison is chair of the Vashon Island School District board.