The Oak Harbor and South Whidbey School Board incumbents all retained their seats in the last election. South Whidbey School Board member Marnie Jackson said “I’m really pleased. I think that this is a resounding vote of confidence from the community for a safe, inclusive, equitable education that the incumbent...
The Oak Harbor School Board approved a 22 year bond that will be on the ballot in February 2022. The bond funds will be used to build three new elementary schools, a new transportation center, and a new HomeConnection/Hand-in-Hand early Childhood Learning Center. For more details on exactly what this...
Editor Jessie Stensland wrote an In Our Opinion column in the Oct. 16 edition of the Whidbey News-Times endorsing several candidates for school boards. They Said It Jessie Stensland: Voters should support the incumbents islandwide. They are open and proud about their records, as they should be. For the Oak...
The League of Women Voters Whildbey Island (LWVWI) hosted a forum for candidates in North Whidbey from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. The forum consisted of three segments: North Whidbey Pool, Park, and Recreation District Commissioners, Oak Harbor City Council members, and Oak Harbor School District...
Oak Harbor School Board members John Diamond and Erik Mann are facing candidates Jessica Thompson and Jason Uemoto in the race for their seats in November. Both Thompson and Uemoto have been very outspoken about their opposition to the school district’s masking mandates and their virtual meetings. Both Thompson and...
Emily Gilbert reports that the Oak Harbor school board is approaching a consensus on a $183.6 million bond proposal for voter approval in Feb. 2022. The proceeds would be used to replace three elementary school buildings (Crescent Harbor, Oak Harbor, and Olympic View), the Hand-in-Hand/Home Connection Early Learning Center and...
Oak Harbor’s growth has impacted the fire and police departments’ abilities to maintain service. See Emily Gilbert’s story for the full details. They said it: Council members voiced their support for the upgrades [recommended by the police and fire chiefs], but Mayor Pro Tem Beth Munns cautioned that the timing...
Future Oak Harbor school board meetings will be held virtually after audience members disrupted two recent in-person meetings where multiple audience members refused to wear masks. Jason Uemoto, who is running for school board against incumbent Erik Mann, questioned the data about masking as well as the constitutionality of the...
