The school board is not quite ready to make a decision.

At a special meeting on March 4, board members opted to delay an in-depth discussion on the future of the recently rejected capital improvements bond until a March 10 community potluck and workshop.

“We should use it as a temperature read,” said board member Janet Brownell. “There could be a shift (towards more support). But if there’s a lot of anger, we need to take that into consideration.”

Orcas voters approved the school’s maintenance and operations levy measure, but a $35 million bond earned 55 percent support, shy of the 60 percent super majority needed for approval. The board hopes to answer questions from those who didn’t support the bond as well as gather input from the community.

On March 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the school library, the board will decide when the bond will go before voters again and if it will be for the full amount. It can go on the ballot in either April, August, or November.

“We’re not going to leave that room until we have a date and an amount,” Brownell said.

The potluck will be in the high school commons, starting at 6:15 p.m., right after the PTSA math and science night. Burgers, chili, and beverages will be provided. The community is asked to bring a potluck dish. Child care will be available.

The crowd will break into roundtable discussions with one school board member per table. Each group will answer a series of questions to stimulate conversation, and the results will then be presented to the entire room.

If the bond had been approved in February, it would have raised the rate from 37 cents to 72 cents per $1000 assessed value. The money would fund construction of several new buildings, including the middle school facility, which includes the cafeteria, wood shop, library, music room and other classrooms. Major repairs are also needed in the elementary and high schools, the old gym and other school property. The school board began an in-depth analysis of the school’s facility several years ago. Mahlum architecture firm prepared the $35 million project.

Community member Gary Abood told the board it was critical to defend their initial plan.

“If you believe in this, tell the story to voters,” he said. “I don’t think you should redesign the whole project.”