School bond fails

Oak Harbor School District voters once again rejected a proposal to finance a major remodel of the high school with a $45 million bond.

Tuesday’s special election failed to garner the 60 percent supermajority needed to pass the bond. As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the count was 3,374 against and 3,272 votes in favor. A total of 3,801 absentee ballots had been returned, and voter turnout at the pools was reported to be about half what it was for the last bond election.

The district will not be able to run another bond election this calendar year, so Oak Harbor students will have to wait until at least 2004 before the issue can be placed on the ballot again.

“It looks like it’s dead in the water,” Vicki Harring, Oak Harbor School board president said Tuesday night.

Harring said she was shocked and upset at the loss.

“Citizens for Better Schools have really knocked themselves out over this,” she said.

Lynn Goebel, Citizens for Better Schools organizer was also disappointed, especially for the students.

“The bottom line is we appreciate everyone who helped,” she said. “Personally it’s very disheartening.”

The board will have more than a year to consider their next move. Harring said one option might be to look at a redesign of the project, which would have given students an updated school, expanded athletic facility and performing arts center.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611

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