Greg White Selected to School Board

 — Board refines bond and levy plans

 — by Margie Doyle —

Greg White takes the oath for service on the Orcas Island School District board of directors

The Orcas Island School District Board selected as their newest member, Greg White, who will take the seat occupied by Jim Sullivan. White is the owner of Archipelago Surveying and is the father of three Orcas School students and has worked as an island surveyor.

Other business conducted at the OISD’s monthly meeting concerned the business report, consideration of a levy or loan to cover additional costs to the bond project, expected enrollment and upcoming graduation dates.

Business report

Business Manager Keith Whitaker said that the April ending balance of over $683,000 was the highest he has ever seen; however he advised that May and June are the lowest apportionment months, which will lower the balance somewhat. The high April balance was possibly due, Whitaker said, to late tax collection: “People paid their property taxes in April, not February and March which were historically low [this year]”.

Whitaker’s projections indicate that the district will receive more revenue for the year than budgeted; and that after a review of encumbered funds, “I’m expecting we’ll end up under 100 percent expenditure.” This makes meeting the year end fund balance target likely.

Bond and levy plans

Whitaker submitted drafts of two revised 20 year bond and levy, which include plans for a new technology and construction levy to replace the levy that expired this year, and noted that August 5 is the deadline to file for a levy vote.

Board member Tony Ghazel was reluctant to commit to either a levy or a loan, with the Board “presuming that all goes well.”

Board Chair Scott Lancaster said there are enough funds and time to make appropriate arrangements to repay any loan the District chose to take. He said further that the levy “would further the bond funds to improve the old gym…. we have the opportunity, and the time to do it is when contractor is here; expanding the project to the betterment of the community to a use that benefits all.”

Career and Technical Education (CTE) building

Bond project manager Liz Leroy outlined the costs for installing a steel building to house the CTE program; considering finish costs, civil review, stormwater, utility tie-in. Lancaster said he found the costs to work with a steel-side building (which turned out to be virtually the same as the original design) “disappointing” and the board discussed going ahead with the CTE building as designed in the original bond plan.

Part of the consideration for overall bond planning is that Tiger Construction, the contractor for the job, has agreed to reduce its bid by $400,000 if the OISD accepts the $457,000 energy grant from the state. That grant requires that the OISD “match” the state’s grant with $1,450,000 in local funds.

Enrollment

During public comment, teachers remarked that already there are 31 kindergarteners enrolled for next year, and perhaps five more are expected to enroll. Mathew Chasanoff said, “It’s great, wonderful… it the most number of incoming kids I’ve heard of in a long time.”

“From my perspective, we have more than enough children for two fulltime kindergarten classes.”

Special education teacher Suzanne McClure said it was unheard of to have this many kids enrolled [at this time]. “We knew this would be a big year.”

Important End-of-Year dates:

• OASIS Alternative Learning Experience High School Senior projects will be presented on June 5 at 1:30 p.m.
• Orcas High School Senior projects will be presented on June 10.
• OASIS graduation will take place on Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Hall
• Orcas High School will hold its Baccalaureate services on June 12; the Celebration of Success is Friday, June 13; and Commencement will be Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m. in the high school gym.