Proposal would add fields, replace school in Oak Harbor

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Oak Harbor city leaders and school district officials are exploring a long-term plan that could create new sports fields by replacing Oak Harbor Elementary School with a new campus elsewhere and converting the existing property into a community recreation hub.

No decisions have been made, but the plan would be to returf an existing field on Whidbey Avenue and create more field space where a failing Oak Harbor Elementary school building would be demolished, according to a presentation at a well-attended presentation Monday evening at Windjammer Park.

City officials and school district leaders said residents have repeatedly identified the lack of athletic fields as one of the community’s biggest recreation needs. Right now, field space in the city is limited to Veterans Memorial Field on Whidbey Avenue, a field at Oak Harbor Elementary and fields at Fort Nugent Park.

“This is about more than fields,” Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright said. “It’s about investing in our youth and creating a community where future generations have places to play.”

City Parks and Recreation Director Craig Lamas-Cole said the project would likely be completed in phases as funding becomes available.

Initially, according to the potential plan, the city would transform Veterans Memorial Field into a turf field capable of being used year-round and withstanding use from many soccer and football teams. An irrigation system would be installed, more parking spaces would be added and restroom and concession facilities would be repaired.

Then, the south building of Oak Harbor Elementary would be demolished to create room for more fields in addition to the field which already sits on the school’s property, not far from the returfed Veterans Memorial Field.

The district would build a new elementary school on district-owned property at Fort Nugent.

Finally, the city would repurpose what remains of Oak Harbor Elementary — a historic building ill-suited for its current use as a cafeteria, gym and auditorium — as a public gathering space for a variety of recreation uses, something else the city lacks.

Local lawmakers are supportive of the city’s desire to create more field space.

Just a day removed from the FIFA World Cup final, Cameron Caldwell, on behalf of U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, explained that there is interest in capitalizing on the buzz created by the international soccer tournament.

State Rep. Dave Paul explained that state funding is available for such a project in the form of competitive grants. Caldwell suggested some specific government funding programs, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund and USDA Rural Development.

Notably, creating new field space in this way would benefit the district in its efforts to improve its facilities.

An advisory committee offered up two recommendations to the district earlier this year regarding where capital facility priorities should lie, according to a previous News-Times story. They were to either build a new school on the Fort Nugent property — newly serving a growing portion of the city — or to make major improvements to several facilities district-wide, including Oak Harbor Elementary’s south building.

A recreation center feasibility study nearing completion also identifies the need for indoor and outdoor recreation space that would complement additional athletic fields. That study seeks a large space for an indoor and outdoor facility that would satisfy the city’s recreation needs only in tandem with creating more field space.

“The important thing to remember is that this won’t happen overnight,” Wright said. “Creating new recreation spaces and premium fields and planning for future schools is a long-term investment. It will take collaboration and a lot of patience.”

Another gathering similar to Monday’s could occur this fall.