Like the proverbial duck whose image is calm and serene on the top of the water, but with a lot of paddling action going on underneath, the Lopez School capital facilities projects have been moving forward. With bond money approved by an enviable majority of the votes a year ago, the Lopez Island School District has been busy with architects, designers, and other key people on behind-the-scenes components of the capital projects that voters approved. Beginning the week of Spring Break and continuing on through the coming summer, these projects are scheduled to be coming to fruition and will become visible reminders of the strong support Lopez voters and community members have for their schools.

Technology was an important component of the bond projects. The technological needs of the students, staff, and district have been determined with the help of a committee of staff, Board, and community representative input. The purchasing, training, and infrastructure work has been going on since the beginning of the school year. This summer the District hopes to complete the work that will provide technology to staff and students for the purpose of improving student learning. Included in the technology package are mobile computer labs at each building, an upgrade to the library computer center, additional computers in the classrooms and new teacher computers, as well as classroom digital cameras and projectors. The campus will also become wireless by this summer, thus creating the opportunity for enhanced learning to take place anywhere on campus, not just in the classrooms or labs.

The physical well-being of staff, students, and the public will be enhanced by the installation of a single new campus-wide heating, ventilation and air-circulation system (HVAC) to replace, in most cases, the seven different systems that are currently not serving the school campus well. With assistance from incentive money and projected rate-reductions from OPALCO and Bonneville Power the district will become a much warmer and comfortable campus, with a marked increase in air quality as well.

It takes a lot of water to irrigate the school campus gardens, playing fields and lawns. The District is very conscientious and conservative with its water use, but some irrigation is needed, for safety of athletes, for nurturing plants and produce, and for other non-potable uses. In the voter-approved and community supported bond measure the District committed to significantly reducing and eliminating wherever possible the historical use of potable water for its irrigation needs by the construction of irrigation to capture roof and storm water runoff. The pond will be dug in the lower field south of the tennis courts, and will be designed to be as integrated into the natural environment as possible by the use of berming and landscaping. Work is scheduled to begin this summer, following bidding this spring.

Roofing the main buildings on the school campus was also included in the bond project. A new metal roof will be installed this summer to replace the current composition shingle roof which is deteriorating quickly and blowing away in the wind.

The running track at the school is beginning to break down. With a re-surfacing now, also approved by the positive bond vote, the District will be able to avoid a very expensive complete re-do of the track in the near future. A re-surfacing this summer will mean a significant savings to the District. Look for that work to begin very shortly after school is dismissed for summer vacation.

A covered playshed to protect elementary students and others from the weather during recess and other times was also approved by the voters and included in the bond projects. Work will begin on this structure by May 1 and will be located over the top of the existing cement outdoor basketball court at the elementary school.

The District is appreciative of the support of the Lopez community for these projects. District officials would like to apologize ahead of time for any temporary inconvenience that any of the construction projects may cause. The District is committed to due diligence in ensuring student and adult safety during these projects.

“It is going to be a busy spring and summer,” said Superintendent Bill Evans, “but it will be worth it, as we continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our Lopez community and its young people.”