For years the Whidbey Island Tennis Association has tried, unsuccessfully, to build an indoor tennis facility somewhere in Oak Harbor.

They worked with the North Whidbey Park and Recreation District and the city of Oak Harbor, but couldn’t reach an agreement with either.

Now tennis association leaders can add the Oak Harbor School District to their list of failed efforts.

The Oak Harbor School Board didn’t even make a motion to consider granting the association a lease for property near North Whidbey Middle School.

WITA says it has raised $1.2 million to fund construction of the new facility. Despite that amount, school officials don’t think it’s enough to complete the project.

“I’m skeptical that the funding to complete the project isn’t really there,” Rick Schulte, superintendent of schools, said Monday, adding that WITA, as a nonprofit organization, could go out of business and leave the school district holding the bag.

Board member Corey Johnson wanted more information about the project including an estimate for construction, and a better defined site plan.

“We have an obligation not to bring a pink elephant to the school district,” Johnson said. He was also concerned about the school district’s burden should the tennis facility fail.

Charles Niedzialkowski, WITA member, said $1.2 million has been raised, which is enough to construct a building but it wouldn’t complete the interior. He also didn’t know how much any site improvements the city might require would cost.

WITA officials have said they have additional donors lined up, but they need a lease in place before raising more money.

Schulte said state auditors regularly rule that if the school district doesn’t need the leased land, then it should be declared surplus and sold.

“We don’t have the authority to be landlords,” Schulte said.

With the existing lease for the Chamber of Commerce office, state auditors told the school district in 1999 that the rent should be equal to fair market value.

Schulte said the park and recreation district would be the best organization to deal with the tennis facility, however talks between those groups broke down earlier.

WITA officials say they need to partner with a public entity for the indoor courts. Niedzialkowski said WITA can’t own property and then own and operate the building.

School board member Kathy Jones questioned that statement, saying that churches, service organizations and other nonprofits own land and operate out of a building.

Board president Gary Wallin was concerned the land neighboring the proposed facility would become inaccessible. It would be too difficult to use the L-shaped land that would remain after construction is complete.

In the end, no school board member would even make a motion for a lease and the board moved on to the next agenda item.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t come to an agreement on this,” Wallin said.

Whidbey Island Tennis Association President Fred Henninger was disappointed at the school board’s reaction.

“I thought it was really surprising to say the least,” Henninger said.

He didn’t know what the association’s next step is other than continue to look for other sites.