Oak Harbor Public Schools
Facilities and Space Needs Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
March 2016
The following list is a compilation of questions received through the recent Facilities and Space Needs
Survey as well as via email and during small group meetings. This information is intended to assist staff,
parents and community members in understanding the district’s needs and solutions to address growth.
Information regarding the planned transition to a grade 5/6 intermediate school and grade 7/8 middle
school in 2017-18 is also included.
Background Questions
1. What has the district done so far to add classroom space at the elementary level?
From 2013 to 2015, the district added 16 regular elementary classrooms by installing portables
and converting computer labs and other spaces into regular classrooms. This year, the district is
adding another 12 classrooms to be ready for next fall. That’s a total of 28 additional
classrooms in just 3 years.
2. How many portables are in use at the elementary schools?
18 portable classrooms are currently used to serve elementary students. However, 10 more
portable classrooms are being installed during this school year. That means by fall 2016,
elementary students will be served in a total of 28 portable classrooms.
3. Why has the district needed so many more elementary classrooms?
The need has been created by the addition of full-day kindergarten for all students, reduced K-3
class sizes and hundreds of new elementary students, mostly in grades K-4. Current enrollment
of full-time elementary students is at an all-time high for Oak Harbor.
4. How many more elementary classrooms does the district expect to need to address the
projected enrollment growth and state-mandated lower K-3 class sizes?
The district anticipates needing about 20 more classrooms (in addition to the 28 classrooms
already added from 2013-16) to address student needs over the next 3-4 years. This should
allow the district to accommodate roughly 400 more elementary students.
5. How big are the elementary schools?
This year, all five elementary schools are between 525 and 575 students. Next year, they are
projected to be between 535 and 630 students each.
6. How is the district projecting enrollment?
The district is using projected base population numbers published by Navy Region Northwest as
its reference point. Based on historical averages, the district estimates the number of Navyconnected students by multiplying the base population by .4. Enrollment is then adjusted by
housing projections and historical grade-level distributions.
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7. What else has the district tried to do to add more classroom space?
In addition to adding 28 classrooms to elementary schools, the district made an offer to
purchase Oak Harbor Christian School but the offer was not accepted. The district also applied
for a state grant to build modular classrooms. However, the state significantly reduced the
number of classrooms funded under the grant and the funding level was far short of what was
needed to meet the district’s classroom space needs.
8. Why isn’t the district reopening the former Clover Valley Elementary?
Actually, it is open. The former Clover Valley Elementary is currently serving nearly 400 school
district students in just 18 classrooms and two older portables. The site is home to Hand-inHand Early Learning Center (state and federally-funded preschool) and HomeConnection, K-12
state-funded public school. Hand-in-Hand uses 13 full-size classrooms including one portable.
HomeConnection uses 7 full-size classrooms including one portable.
9. If cost were no object, what is the best solution for the district’s space issues?
Building a new elementary school would be the best solution. However, it costs about $25
million to build a new school. Even if the district had the funding, a new school would not open
until 2019-20 at the earliest.
10. If it’s the best option, why doesn’t the district just build a new school?
It costs about $25 million to build a new elementary school. In order to pay for a new school,
the district would need to run a bond election and the voters would need to pass it with at least
a 60% “yes” vote. It takes at least a year to do all of the preliminary architectural planning and
to conduct a bond campaign and election. If the bond passed, the earliest a new school would
open would be in the 2019-20 school year. It is worth noting that such an election would
immediately follow the district’s operating levy election in February 2017.
Finance Questions
11. How much has the district spent on portables and new classrooms and how did it pay for
them?
By the end of this year, the district will have spent nearly $2.5 million on new elementary
classroom spaces. With no additional state or federal funding to support this, these costs have
come out of district reserves and operating budgets. This will leave the district reserves at or
near the minimum level under board policy.
12. How will the district pay for the additional classrooms needed beyond next year?
Without additional state or federal revenue for this purpose, the district will need to borrow the
funds to add the new classrooms, curriculum, furniture and equipment. The district will then
need make annual loan payments out of its normal operating budget for the next 10-12 years.
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13. Doesn’t Impact Aid give the district more money for Navy students?
Yes. However, Impact Aid only covers a small portion of the daily operating costs required to
serve students. Impact Aid has been steadily cut by the federal government. It was 50% higher
just 8 years ago with fewer Navy students. The district’s local levy plus Impact Aid is less than
the levy alone of the other districts in our area. Plus, annual Impact Aid payments can be
delayed or spread out over three years, making this a less than reliable funding source.
14. Why isn’t the district getting the federal or state government to pay for a new school and/or
new classrooms?
For the past several years, the district has been heavily engaged in significant lobbying efforts at
the state and federal levels for funding to address the challenges with growth. The district has
held several onsite visits with members of congress and/or their aides, state representatives and
Navy leadership. The district has also lobbied directly in Olympia and Washington, D.C. Senator
Murray, Senator Cantwell and Congressman Larsen and our local state legislators have voiced
strong support. However, at this time new funding has not materialized. Nevertheless, the
district continues to lobby, asserting that the burden of creating classrooms, buying new
furniture, equipment and curriculum for new students should only fall on our local taxpayers as
a last resort.
15. Why doesn’t the district just get the Navy to build a DoD school on base?
Actually, the military has been reducing the number of DoD schools in the U.S. The DoD has
transferred the most of its schools to local districts and has not been building new ones
domestically. The only schools the DoD has continues to maintain are in areas where a transfer
of control to the local district was not possible for various reasons.
Regarding the Creation of a Grade 5/6-Only School and a Grade 7/8-Only School
16. Why did the school board choose to create a grade 5/6-only school and a grade 7/8-only
school to help address space issues?
This was certainly not the first choice for the district. However, as other options fell off the table
this solution slowly rose to the top of list. Here are a few of the advantages:
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It takes advantage of available space at the middle schools.
It reduces the burden on our already crowded elementary schools by keeping
enrollment at less than 600 students on each campus.
It is the most cost-effective solution at this time.
By creating separate schools for grades 5/6 and grades 7/8, it has potential to improve
the instructional program through grade-level targeted programs, interventions,
enrichment activities, electives and athletics.
It would increase grade-level interaction and development opportunities for staff and
students at each campus.
It would require adding some portables, but not as many as would be needed at the
elementary schools.
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17. Does this new grade configuration start next year?
No. This change will not go into effect until the 2017-18 school year. This allows 18 months for
planning and transition. The first group of students affected are current 3rd through 6th graders.
18. How much space is available at the middle schools?
Space is available between the two middle schools for at least 10 more classrooms of students.
19. How big will the two schools be after the transition?
Eventually, both schools will serve around 900 students.
20. Doesn’t that mean the district will need to add portables to the 5/6 and 7/8 schools?
Yes. It is anticipated that 8 portable classrooms (4 buildings) will be needed at Oak Harbor
Middle and at least 2 portable classrooms (1 building) will be needed at North Whidbey Middle
to start. However, this is about half the number that would be needed if the 5th graders
remained at the elementary level.
21. How many classrooms would be made available at the elementary schools by moving
5th graders into a grade 5/6 school?
16 to 17 classrooms.
22. Will the grade 5/6 school just be another middle school?
No. It will be a developmentally-appropriate hybrid of elementary school and middle school,
taking into account the unique needs of 10-12 year-old students. It may be called an
“intermediate school.” The specifics of this model will be developed through a 12-month
collaborative process involving staff, parents and community members.
23. What are the drawbacks of this plan?
It creates an additional transition for students and significantly increases the size of the middle
schools. However, our middle school facilities are better suited to handle growth than our
already overtaxed elementary schools. Creating smaller learning environments (“schools-withina-school”) could help increase personalization and connections between more students.
Creating smooth transitions for students between the two schools is a priority in the planning
and design process. The plan may also improve the 8th to 9th grade transition since students
would already be together and transitioning from only one school. How to best meet student
elective, arts, physical activity, library and other needs will have to be re-envisioned to fit a
grade 5/6 intermediate school.
24. Will there be recess and a playground?
Providing developmentally-appropriate daily physical activity is very important. A playground
could certainly be added and Oak Harbor Middle already has the advantage of a covered
outdoor play area. Specifics of the recess and PE programs will be decided through input and
review of the representative steering committee and various planning subcommittees.
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25. Who will be on the steering committee and what will they decide?
The steering committee will coordinate the planning process for the reconfigured schools. The
committee will include a team of staff, parents and community representatives. The team will
also form a variety of subcommittees to study various needs and develop solutions. The scope
of work will be all-encompassing, from developing specific plans to help students with the
transition to alignment between the two schools, curriculum, schedules, electives, athletics,
activities and more.
26. What about specialists and elective programs?
Music, art, PE, library, etc. are vital elements of our instructional program and will remain strong
in both the 5/6 and 7/8 schools. The structure and design of these will most likely be developed
by the specialists themselves in coordination with the steering committee. Creating a studentcentered, engaging and developmentally-appropriate elective program at each school will be
the focus of this work.
27. What about special education programs?
The steering committee and a subcommittee of special education staff as well as teachers on
special assignment (TOSAs) will work on this. Because the number of students would be
increasing at each school, the number of special classrooms will increase as well. At each
school, there will likely be a separate life skills classroom (for special education students with
higher needs) and a Choices classroom (for students needing support with emotional and
behavioral issues).
28. What about advanced classes and gifted programs?
The steering committee and a subcommittee of the current Highly-Capable Program members
and teachers on special assignment (TOSAs) will work on this. Having more students in a grade
level at one site will allow the creation of a wider range of advanced classes and acceleration
programs and options for students.
29. Isn’t this going to create problems for transportation?
It is not expected to. Currently, the district has buses that only drive elementary routes and are
not used during secondary level runs. Consequently, the district can use these existing buses
and drivers to meet the need without purchasing additional buses. Right now, there are more
buses transporting elementary students than secondary students. This change should improve
transportation for elementary students since there would be fewer students riding (grades K-4).
This will likely balance ridership between the two levels. There may be an adjustment in start
times, but it would likely be by only a few minutes. Bus rides for secondary students (grades 512) are expected to be a few minutes longer in either the morning or afternoon, but not both.
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30. What about parent pick-up and drop-off?
Unlike elementary campuses, there are ways to accommodate additional parents for pick-up
and drop-off at the middle school sites. For parents with students at both schools, Oak Harbor
Middle School and North Whidbey Middle School are less than 1 mile (a 5-minute drive) apart.
This should allow adequate time to reach both sites before and after school. Advice for parents
on how best to accomplish this will be developed and provided.
31. How will this affect athletics?
Currently, for grades 5/6, an intermural program is used and this will likely continue in some
expanded form. For grades 7/8, the district will strive to maintain its “no-cut” policy. Three of
our grade 7/8 sports are already combined between the two middle schools as “Wildcat
United.” For certain sports, the larger number of students may require the use of gym space at
the neighboring Oak Harbor Elementary or other sites. Further review of the impact on athletics
is needed and this work will be part of the steering committee and an athletics and activities
subcommittee.
32. Which school will be the 5/6 school and which school will be the 7/8 school?
Based on the design of the facilities, the plan is to have Oak Harbor Middle School become the
5/6 school and North Whidbey Middle School become the 7/8 school. North Whidbey has a
larger full-sized gym and full-sized track to accommodate older students. Oak Harbor Middle has
a smaller gym (not quite a full-sized basketball court), but it also features a covered outdoor
play area suitable for younger students.
33. Why wasn’t a configuration of two grade 5-8 schools considered?
It was considered. However, initial feedback from the majority of parents and staff has strongly
favored the creation of separate schools for grades 5/6 and 7/8. Concerns centered around
having 5th and 8th graders together on the same campus and the loss of the advantages
associated with developmentally-appropriate, level-specific schools. With this information, the
district focused on a separate grade 5/6 and a grade 7/8 school as the preferred solution.
34. Will teachers have the right certification if they need to move between schools?
The district reviewed teacher certification for our staff and does not foresee any problems with
current staff being able to teach in a reconfigured program. Certainly, some teachers will need
to move either between the two middle schools or up from elementary school depending on
their interests and strengths. A respectful process that helps teachers make the transitions and
“play to their strengths” will be developed in collaboration with the Oak Harbor Education
Association (the teachers’ union).
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