One of The Beachcomber’s reporters was at a Vashon High School basketball game on First Friday and saw the school’s vice principal walking through the gym carrying a bleacher board that had broken during the game.

“Kids were holding it up and cheering, and I thought I’d better grab it before someone got hurt, as it had some jagged edges and a sharp point,” VHS vice-principal Kelly Kirk said in an email last week. He went on to say that the instance was “a nice little symbol of why the bond needs to pass.”

It did not pass. The bond that would fund the renovation of the school’s gym, along with the construction of a new one and replacement of VHS’ track and field received just over 53 percent of the vote, 7 percent short of the required supermajority. It was the only measure of 12 others in the county that did not pass this election.

If passed, the bond would have increased property taxes for a $460,000 house by $19 per month ($228 per year). Some opponents said the tax increase was too much to add to the expense of island living, while others believed the school district rushed the bond process and was not doing enough to maintain current facilities.

The school’s athletic facilities are beyond simply needing maintenance. The high school’s gym and track and field were built 50 years ago. The field was never properly set up for drainage and is now closed for months every year. The track is also constantly soggy and filled with ruts, rendering it unsafe. This dangerous condition, along with the fact that it is too small, renders it unfit to host track meets. Meanwhile, the VHS and McMurray gyms were damaged in the Nisqually earthquake and need seismic upgrades. Mold has been found growing in the high school gym.

The measure failed because it fell short of the 60 percent majority required by law. While islanders should understand the gravity of the situation and the investment they’re making in the schools, the problem is larger than Vashon.

The state government needs to consider ways to make it easier to pass school bond measures. The 60 percent majority is so difficult to attain and leaves schools scrambling for funds to replace crumbling infrastructure.

A February 2015 Seattle Times editorial quoted state Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, saying that about 30 to 35 school bond measures are proposed each year in Washington, but fewer than one-third pass. The editorial also reported that the majority of the failed measures brought in more than 50 percent approval.

Vashon’s bond is a perfect example of this problem. Many of the high school’s facilities are literally crumbling. It’s time to recognize and fix this.