SOUTH WHIDBEY: Sound Off: School bond is only way to update buildings (JO MOCCIA/SWR)

South Whidbey School District Superintendent Jo Moccia wrote a Sound Off column for the South Whidbey Record in response to former School Director Jim Adsley’s column opposing the district’s November 2023 bond ballot measure. Moccia’s column appeared in the paper’s Sep. 23, 2023 edition.

They Said It

My reason for writing this letter is to address the data and trends Mr. Adsley reported. The district enrollment has been on a steady decline since 2000. Over the last 23 years, the median age of those of us on the South End has risen to nearly 70 years of age. The cost of living, along with housing costs, have risen. We all see it in the price of gas, food and lodging.

The reference to a failed bond in 2010 is a distortion. Gas was less than $3 per gallon then and it is over $5 now. The cost of school construction was $450 per square foot then and is over $600 per square foot now. In the meantime, our revenue is on a steady decline…

Our population of young folks has steadily declined. Families have also found other means to work as well as educate their children…. Be that as it may, the data from the ‘22-‘23 school year is skewed immensely. COVID-19 was still raging, so attendance was abysmal. Education was supported by federal COVID dollars, again their use has been explained. This certainly contributed to the increase in per-pupil expenditure.

In short, we retained staff for alternate duties and we increased staff to address learning needs and health and safety issues…. In addition, the cost of doing business has risen and remains higher while COVID funds are gone.

We are making every effort to address the needs of our students every day. Data is important and so are the reasons behind the data. Our buildings need to be updated for health and safety reasons. That is the purpose of the bond.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Moccia’s median age figure for South Whidbey appears to be incorrect. According to TownCharts.com, using data from the US Census Bureau, the median age in the South Whidbey County Census Division is 57.5, not 70.]

On the Ballot in November 2023