By Madison McCann, Editor-in-Chief
Our athletics facilities have seen better days. The gym was originally built in 1912 — over 100 years ago. The track, set up in 1970, is longer than the standard measurement for track fields. Furthermore, both the track and field have irrigation problems that leave students dealing with hazardous conditions that can lead to injury.
On April 25, the Vashon community will vote on a bond — a tax levied on homeowners — which if passed could improve the high school’s track and gym, as well as providing aid to a number of other areas.
“It is the school board’s responsibility to identify weak spots in the infrastructure of all VISD facilities and make sure repairs take place on an as-needed basis,” volunteer Todd Pearson said. “They do not bring these kinds of proposals to voters capriciously because the projects are necessary and costly.”
If this measure is passed, it would not present a large burden for homeowners. For example, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay under $5 per month.
The money raised by the bond would be shared among the three schools on the VISD campus. At Chautauqua Elementary School, the building would be repainted, the furniture replaced and the playground upgraded. McMurray Middle School would also receive a new coat of paint and furniture, as well as restorations to the locker rooms, windows and carpets.
However, the high school track and field would be receiving most of the attention. The high school track would be converted from six lanes to eight and would be replaced with an all-weather surface.
The football field would be replaced with synthetic turf that would save the school district money on the cost of field maintenance, though the initial price is higher than that of a traditional grass field. The field would also not use traditional crumb infill, but a non-toxic substance such as cork or coconut fiber.
The buildings from the original high school would have their roofs replaced and would receive other minor improvements, such as remodeling the bathrooms in the K building.
In the past, the school board has faced considerable opposition to bond attempts.
“We have had two bond failures and one successful bond in the past six to seven years,” Principal Rock said. “That’s the razor’s edge that our board is walking on as they consider the right allocation [of] funds to secure a yes vote from the constituents.”
Because of past opposition, the school board has removed the cost of rebuilding the gym from the bond, which lowered it substantially but will cost the school more in the long run.
“It’s fiscally irresponsible for us to spend $100,000 on new boilers for the gym when the life of those boilers is going to be in the 10-year range at most,” Rock said. “It only becomes more expensive over time to build that new gym.”
As previously mentioned, voting takes place on April 25th. For any registered voters, the ballots should be in your mailboxes today, April 7th! Full instructions for voting are included on your ballot.
**Read about the Riptide Editorial Board’s view on this issue on page 9.