Orcas Schools and Parks Differ on Buck Park Contract

School holds out for priority scheduling; Park and Rec maintains “public” claim

by Margie Doyle

On Thursday, Sept. 26 the Orcas Island School District (“School”)  Board adjourned its regular meeting for a public hearing on the latest proposals to transfer ownership of Buck Park to the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (“Park and Rec”).

While Park and Rec has been maintaining the Buck Park grounds and scheduling events on Buck Park properties, the two taxing districts have yet to finalize ownership. The sticking point is the School’s claim that the use should assure that “School District activities, such as school team sports, willl take priority over OIPRD’s activities, to the extent that such uses or their scheduling conflict,” as stated in Appendix A of the draft Quit Claim Deed.

During the public hearing, Kathi Ciskowski thanked the School “for accepting Buck Park in the first place, because there would have been no park if the school wasn’t willing to take it under its wing.”

Adina Cunningham, attorney representing Parks and Rec, and Martha Farish, a member of Park and Rec Board, who noted that she was speaking as a private citizen to board, emphasized that  Buck Park is a public park.

Fairsh said, “Land use doesn’t belong in a deed; but in an interlocal agreement between two duly elected boards; that’s where that condition belongs.”

Justin Paulsen agreed with Farish, saying, “Orcas Park and Rec is 100 percent the best steward of the park; there is no question of their faith and trust that school will have the use of it in the future.”

Adina Cunningham reviewed the history of Buck Park, from 1987 when Buck quit claimed the property to Orcas Center “expressly for a public park.” That deed was transferred, first to the Buck Park Association and then, in 1992, to the School. At that time, the School was” one of a few entities that could get grants from the state to develop [Buck Park] as a public park.”

Cunningham maintains that the 1992 transfer agreement “requires the school district to transfer [Buck Park] to a park and rec district. She added that all the transfers of the deed for Buck Park “stipulate the public right to use the park.”

Orcas Park and Rec “wants to run it as a park in agreement with the school district… [but] there’s a fine line between public park and school district’s maintenance of priority use,” she concluded.

Bob Eagan addressed the public hearing as the Chair of Park and Rac (OIPRD), saying, “I’m representing all of us, by that I’m really nervous.

“In May I felt like we were on a good path to work this out; that clearly didn’t happen. What it’s done is create anxiety and put people in compromising positions in public forums. I’m still willing to go back to that process and figure out what is the best thing for the community to manage that park, whether [it’s] a transfer or lease agreement.

“Through our management and scheduling, we’re insulating the school board from public criticism. After 40 years on the island, I can’t think of a time our community hasn’t given priority to our kids; if we didn’t give [the School} priority, can you imagine what we’d have in our office?

“I just hope however this turns out, it’s for the best for our community.”

The public hearing then concluded and the School board reconvened.

School director Scott Lancaster said that he would follow the recommendations of the School’s attorney, or “at least offer a lease for two or three years” rather than transfer the ownership of the park.

School board President Chris Sutton said, “As much as we hoped our attorneys could resolve this issue, we’ve arrived at where they are in opposition. “We need to figure it out amongst ourselves in another board meeting or continue with a lease agreement”

School director Janet Brownell agreed with that proposition, saying “There are trust issues on both sides that need to be resolved… We want Park and Rec to have [Buck Park] but we need assurances that school needs are met.”

School Director Tony Ghazel made the motion to “move forward board-to-board or re-establish the committee level of conversation, using the School Board’s proposal in the draft quit claim as a starting point, at the earliest convenience.” The board agreed unanimously with Ghazel’s motion.

The School board went on to sign an interlocal agreement between OIPRD and OISD  regarding the use of facilities, primarily the night-time use of the gym.

• In other news, Pierrette Guimond asked the board what steps the OISD  will take as a result of an audit finding of $108,000 resulting from improper filing of required forms.

• OISD Board President Chris Sutton deferred to Superintendent Barbara Kline, who answered that the paperwork error had been “found and corrected” before the audit finding was issued. She acknowledged that it was “an expensive mistake.”

• Associated Student Body(ASB) President Emily Jackson approached the Board about a bylaws change that would allow students who had a lower-than-required GPA still be allowed, by waiver from the Principal, to serve as an  ASB officer. She also requested language change in the OISD dance contract and changes in dealing with students who are “under the influence” at ASB events.

• Susan Stolmeier, representing the orcas Education Association, thanked the district for its “prompt callback” of teacher’s who’d been reduced in force (RIF’d).

• David Mount of Mahlum Architects reviewed the progress of the school rebuilding project, and estimated that pre-construction documents would be finalized  mid-November; bid documents advertised mid- December; bid opening the end of January, 2014; and construction to begin mid-April, 2014.

• He announced that revised base construction costs had led to a revision of alternative costs. This will result in changes to the music room building, administration building, roofing and flooring.

• In his report, Business Manager Keith Whitaker announced that the general fund ending balance as of August 31 was just under $300,000. “It’s [adjusted] slightly higher now,  and [the 2013-14 year-end balance] will probably end up in that vicinity.”

• He added that the first enrollment figures for 2013-14 show 805.85 full-time enrollment (FTE) for the district, and 850 head count. In adjusting figures for state apportionment payments, Whitaker said he wanted to “remain conservative,” in the enrollment figures, and so adjusted the figures from the projected 725 enrollment estimate to 772.75.

• Superintendent Kline reported that the district had just learned of new energy grants to be awarded in March 2014. The district may be able to apply any such grant funds towards the cost of the bond rebuilding project.

(Disclosure: Editor Margie Doyle is a part-time employee of the Orcas Island School District).