SOUTH WHIDBEY: Voters renew South Whidbey school levies

Luisa Loi reports on the election in South Whidbey for the South Whidbey Record.

A majority of voters have renewed their support for educational programs and upgrades to facilities and technology at South Whidbey Schools.

According to the Nov. 7 count, the replacement levy for capital improvements passed with about 65% of the vote, while the replacement levy for educational programs and operations passed with almost 66%.

They Said It

In an email to The Record, School Board Member Brook Willeford thanked the community for backing the two ballot measures.

“The people of South Whidbey have always supported public education, and thus far it looks like that passionate support will continue through this election,” he wrote. “These levies will allow the district to continue to support student learning and student and staff safety and comfort.”

…Some might be unclear about the difference between the capital improvements levy and the $79.8 million bond [approved by voters in 2023], something that Board Member Joe Greenheron said constituents asked about at a recent Community Council meeting in Clinton.

In his email, Willeford explained that while bonds are one-time loans that pay for big projects, levies are collected in smaller batches twice a year to pay for ongoing needs and small- or medium-sized projects.

Currently, the bond is funding the siding of the middle school and the high school, the replacement of the field, updates to the elementary school playground and updates to the middle and high school courtyard, Willeford wrote, adding that the timeline for these projects will depend on the county’s permitting process and the schedule of the contractors.

“It would take multiple years of zero spending on repairs and maintenance issues to have enough money from the levy in order to afford some of the projects being covered by the bond,” Willeford wrote.

On the Ballot in November 2024