They know it won’t be $35 million.

But the precise amount of the new school bond proposal, set to go before voters in August, is still up for debate.

The Orcas Island School Board recently held “coffee and conversation” sessions with small groups of community members to answer questions and gather input about the bond, which was rejected by voters in February. The money would have funded major repairs in the elementary and high schools, the old gym and other school property as well as construction of several new buildings, including a vocational center and the middle school facility, which includes the cafeteria, wood shop, library, music room and other classrooms.

Board members shared feedback from the gatherings during an April 22 meeting.

“It proved to me that we were able to have a discussion and not shouting,” board chair Scott Lancaster said. “There is more understanding now.”

Most board members heard that stand alone items, like a new track and field, need to be cut from the proposal.

“People want to make sure we’re building things that will last, but that we’re not doing too much,” Chris Sutton said. “Whatever we cut needs to be something we can come back later with to the community. We’ve come down to what is critical – and it’s still a big number.”

Most of the board felt that trimming several large items would bring the amount to a more passable figure, but board member Tony Ghazel favored a reduction in square footage.

“I think we can still do the programming with less square footage,” he said.

Janet Brownell disagreed.

“There is a culture in this community of just putting a band-aid on to fix a problem,” she said. “I think we’d be reinforcing that culture if we lower the amount too much. The problems are not going away.”

Preliminary ideas for reducing the bond were not building a new fitness room and track/field, only repairing the roof of the Old Gym, scrapping the energy efficient window package in the elementary school, and cutting the furniture, fixtures, and equipment budget by half. That would bring the bond down to between $27 and $28 million.

But Lancaster felt $25 million was the “magic number,” but added: “If we go to $27 million, we need to be confident that parents and staff will support it … get on the phone, get people to vote.”

Brownell told Lancaster she had no idea where the extra $2 to $3 million in reductions would come from.

“There aren’t any other stand alone items,” she said.

Butch Reifert, managing partner of Mahlum, the firm that designed the project, told the board he would see if any further cuts were possible, but he was not optimistic.

“I’m just not seeing it,” he said. “Everything in the project is hooked together.”

Brownell asked if the size of the vocational building could be reduced with the option of expanding, but Reifert was reluctant to support that.

“I am hesitant to say yes, because the equipment and programs require space,” he said. “And even a 2,000 square foot addition can be very costly. If you shrink the buildings, then you have to shrink the programs.”

The board asked Reifert to draft a 20-year plan for the construction bonds, possibly in phases that could be put before voters. He cautioned that a 20-year plan means escalation in costs, but board members felt the community is aware of the financial consequences of paying for some improvements later.

A final amount for the bond must be submitted by May 25. The board will continue their discussion on May 10 at 5 p.m. in the school library, and pass a resolution on May 12.

Other school news

Former board member Keith Whitaker was hired as the district’s new business manager. His position is still vacant on the board, and no applications have yet been filed. The position will be open until April 30.

Budget season is also underway for the district. A budget advisory committee workshop will be held on May 3 at 5 p.m. in the school library.