School technology levy moved to back burner

The Orcas Island School District won’t ask voters to approve a technology levy next March.

“We decided to defer until the economy comes up,” Superintendent Barry Acker told the school board Dec. 19. “We don’t feel it’s a good time to go for additional money.”

Acker and the board agree that the need to upgrade technology is very real, but the superintendent will now pursue other funding options to make this happen.

The district will, however, submit a maintenance and operations levy next March. It will be for four years, and will cover basic educational needs that cannot be provided through state funding.

Acker noted that the tax rate for the upcoming levy will be lower than that for the previous four years. The recent hike in property tax assessments enables the district to lower the levy rate and still meet its basic maintenance and operations needs.

The Lopez and San Juan Island school districts will also be submitting maintenance and operations levies in March.

— In other school news, it was announced that the district will proceed with a major energy savings plan that will reduce its annual electric power bill by $13,500 and save over 243,000 kilowatt hours of power. Starting next month, the school will replace all its lights with those that are more energy efficient.

Acker first raised the issue at the November board meeting, but he noted at the time that the school would have to come up with $25,000 in up front money before the project could be undertaken.

It has since been decided to use some of the school’s capital funds for this particular project.

The work will be carried out after school and during vacations so classes won’t be affected while the lights are being changed.

— Ted Grossman is Editor of islandssounder.com and The Islands’ Sounder. He can be reached at (360) 376-4500 or email.

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