North Kitsap School District asks for public input on how to spend $1.2M surplus

The North Kitsap School District held public meetings last month at Kingston High School and North Kitsap High School to get input on how to spend a surplus of approximately $1.2 million from its $60.1 million bond approved by voters in 2001. After state matching funds and interest came in, the bond totaled nearly $100 million.

Funds from the bond were used to build KHS, renovate NKHS, install a new roof on Wolfle Elementary School, and upgrade Spectrum Community School, the North Kitsap Auditorium and Swimming Pool and Pearson, Poulsbo and Suquamish elementary schools.

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee, formed in 2001 to closely monitor the progress of the bond, asked for public input to determine how to spend the surplus.

Bond dollars are earmarked solely for construction or renovation projects.

Requests from the public expressed at the April meetings included installing six tennis courts at KHS as well as lights, covered bleachers, bathrooms and concessions for the athletic fields there.

Lights for Kingston fields are a hot topic because without lights, soccer and football games must be played in the afternoon or at North Kitsap Stadium. The district doesn’t provide transportation for games and parents may not be able to get off work in the afternoon to come watch.

The newly formed KHS Arts Boosters advocated for enhancing the school’s Commons area for performing arts groups; installing a kiln and shelving units for visual art groups; and funding basic needs for music groups including podiums, choir robes and instruments.

KHS bus drivers showed up in full force to plead a safety concern. Currently there’s only one way in and out of KHS and nearly 1,000 staff and students must filter through the narrow passage each day. Therefore, before and after school a traffic jam is created, according to drivers, and they are stuck doing a 10-to 15-minute circle just to get out of the mayhem.

Other requests were to improve the fields at Vinland Elementary for use by Little League and soccer teams; resurfacing tennis courts at NKHS; purchasing furniture for portables at Poulsbo Middle School; and installing playground fencing at Poulsbo Elementary.

While NKSD Capital Program Director Robin Shoemaker said the input has been helpful, the district has a sizable project suggestion of its own – Breidablik Elementary has a leaky roof and it’s now a top priority. She estimates replacing the roof will cost upwards of half a million and said it’s practical to use a portion of the $1.2 million surplus to fund it, as the money required can’t be found anywhere else.

Shoemaker said the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee met to discuss the public input and was expected to give an update at the April 24 board meeting. A projects priority recommendation will tentatively be presented at a school board meeting in May. The board will make final decisions on funding projects at a later date.

(Tara Lemm of the North Kitsap Herald and Rebecca Pirtle contributed to this article.)

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