Oak Harbor School Board is stepping back to take a hard look at the high school bond remodel proposal, after being rebuffed twice at the polls.

“We took the voters for granted,” board vice-president Kathy Jones said at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

In an impassioned speech to the board Jones expressed frustration at the board’s inability to get their message across to the voters. She felt that despite their public hearings, forums and information disseminated to the public, there was still misinformation supporters were not able to overcome.

Even more frustrating were the numbers of school district staff who didn’t support the bond, or didn’t even take the time to vote, she said.

She went on to suggest a long list of things they needed to take a harder look at before putting any remodel proposal out for a vote, including enrollment projections, how much space the school really needs, whether a performing arts center and sports facility should be included or separate on the ballot and when a vote should take place.

“The same bond should not come back to the people,” she concluded.

Whether a bond in any form will be ready for a vote by spring 2004, the soonest it could be back, is also up for debate.

Citizens for Better Schools coordinator Lynn Goebel said Friday that she was worn out from the year of campaigning for the high school project.

“I’m not ready to run another bond,” she said. “It takes a lot of time and energy.”

She would like to see the people who were vocally opposed to the plan come together with supporters to work out a plan that everyone could agree on.

“We need to build a consensus in the community because the high school is in need,” she said.

At the school board meeting Superintendent Rick Schulte suggested the district conduct a phone survey of approximately 250 residents selected at random from the phone book. The 20-question survey could include queries on where people get their information, what their priorities are, and what options for the high school would they support.

Schulte estimated the survey could be done for about $10,000, which is far less than the $70,00 they paid for the survey of the high school facility that started the remodel project. Schulte also pointed out the district has spent close to $55,000 on the two failed elections this year, but the board debated whether spending more money at this point was wise.

Board member Gary Wallin said he was reluctant to spend money on a phone survey when the district was facing a $1 million budget deficit and tough cuts.

Kathy Chalfant suggested it was better to spend a little now to save a lot later, if it would help focus the project and get the bond passed.

Weighing in at his first school board meeting as a member of the board, newly appointed Dave McCool said he was in favor of the survey, and he would also like to see the board develop a set of milestones along the next bond campaign trail.

Other alternatives Schulte suggested to the board were scheduling a new election for the same basic plan, but broken into pieces that could be voted on separately, developing a new design and plan built around a smaller budget target as identified by the school board, or delaying full modernization for five to 10 years and instead doing a smaller bond or levy to accomplish temporary essential improvements.

The board held off on these options, but gave Schulte the go ahead to start working on developing the survey.

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