The Oak Harbor School District board of directors decided to make a go for a newly remodeled and expanded high school.

The board voted at its meeting Monday night to put together a bond measure to present to voters in a March, 2003, election, to help cover the cost of the projected $55 million project.

The project, and the bond measure, is slated to include a sports facility and a performing arts center as a package deal.

The result would be a roughly 50-percent new and 50-percent remodeled school.

“The bond amount should be $45 million with a term of 15 years and a tax rate increase of about $0.90 per thousand dollars of valuation,” wrote Rick Schulte, superintendent of schools, in his brief to the board.

Oak Harbor voting taxpayers will decide whether or not they want the additional property tax. In order for the bond measure to pass it will need to gain a 60-percent supermajority at the polls.

Citizens for Better Schools, a grassroots organization of community members and parents, is gearing up to campaign for the measure. This same group was instrumental in getting the maintenance and operations and school lunch levies passed in March, 2001. At that time a measure to fund a new high school sports facility failed by a narrow margin.

Citizens for Better Schools is planning a public meeting and information night Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at Oak Harbor High School. The group’s goal is to educate the public so that voters can make informed decisions at the polls.

“We are trying to get people educated and committed to work on committees,” said Lynn Goebel, one of the founders of the group, recently. “People will have an opportunity to see the information.”