Schools should involve the public in bond discussion

Published 4:03 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The Vashon School District is working on a plan to replace and add buildings around the new high school called Phase II for another capital bond measure.  In the article “Schools narrow option for next bond measure,” the cost was between $25 and $36 million for the various options. At the last school board meeting, Integrus, the architectural firm working on the project, announced that the “soft” costs had been omitted, bringing the actual cost of the proposed project to between $38.8 and $55.7 million.

These options include either remodeling the existing gym, adding an auxiliary gym or building a new gym.  The gym options alone range from $18.3 to $27 million. The athletic field options range from $10.7 (for a new track, field and grandstand) to $14 million (to also re-orient a new track and field to a north south orientation because the view from some classrooms in the new high school look at the back of the bleachers instead of open space). Phase II also includes new buildings for pre-school, and FamilyLink and a remodel of “K” building for StudentLink for $7.6 million. Lastly is the bus barn with miscellaneous site improvements.  These costs range from $2.2 to $10.2 million.

So far the only people invited to give input in what should be in this proposal have been the school principals, gym teachers and community sport teams.  The rest of the community has been locked out of the discussion.  This bond may be on our February or April ballot. The community needs to be invited to the table now.  We need to be part of the discussion about what is needed, versus what is wanted, and certainly what is affordable to our small community of 10,000 residents.

— Hilary Emmer