Record South Whidbey
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012 | Vol. 88, No. 50 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
INSIDE: Leave a pup alone, County, A3
South Whidbey schools cut five teaching positions
Down the drain
BY BEN WATANABE Staff reporter
Justin Burnett / The Record
Tacoma resident Luke Tingley, 6, horses around on a log in Holmes Harbor with his older brother Dylan, 9. The Freeland Water and Sewer District’s citizens advisory committee recently completed a year-long study that addressed a number of issues related to the creation of a sewer system, including the environment. Some members believe that it’s time to dissolve the Holmes Harbor Shellfish Protection District.
Study doubts need for area-wide Freeland sewer By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Neither population growth nor environmental concerns justify the development of sewers in residential areas of Freeland, according to the preliminary results of a study recently released by the Freeland Water and Sewer District. In fact, Freeland isn’t growing nearly as fast as many believe and the only potential need for sewers is in the commercial core, an area largely located on the north side of Highway 525. “We have to be very pragmatic about moving forward with any sewer plan,” said Lou Malzone, a commissioner with the water district. “The population growth just isn’t there for a district-wide system.” “The study is telling me we need to go back to the drawing board with the county and redefine growth in Freeland,” he said. The citizen’s advisory committee, an advisory group for the district, has worked for about a year to compile population and growth data, examine environmental issues and investigate an alternative to a proposed $40 million sewer system that sank under the
weight of public criticism and funding problems last year. The committee includes Malzone, John Brunke, Al Peyser, Freeland Chamber of Commerce Director Chet Ross and John Chaffins. Using a range of local and state information sources, the study looked at growth and population trends for several Freeland areas: properties within the Freeland zip code, the boundary used by the U.S. Census Bureau known as the census designated place, the non municipal urban growth area and the Freeland Water and Sewer District. While population growth has increased in some areas by more than 4 percent annually between 2000 and 2010, it’s largely flatlined in most areas at about 1 percent growth since 2008. “Until the economy recovers the population growth in the Freeland NMUGA (non municipal urban growth area) will remain stagnant and there are no indicators supporting near term recovery,” the report said. “In summary, examination of the various Freeland population and growth planning factors indicates that planning for a Freeland sewer system must
consider business as the primary driver,” it said. The study also looked closely at environmental concerns, particularly those related to the Holmes Harbor Shellfish Protection District, to see how they might necessitate the development of a new sewer system. Using information provided by the Island County Board of Health, the study maintained that in three years of testing, from 2009 to 2011, 310 on-site septic system inspections were performed with 103 corrections made. There were just two reported failures. The county is in the process of sharing its results with state regulators and hopes to begin the process of removing the closure area, which was formed in 2007. “The bottom line is it’s not septic systems that are doing it (pollution),” said Brunke, chairman of the citizen’s advisory committee. The low number of failures demonstrates that properly designed and maintained septic systems can function year round and that a sewer system is not See Sewer, A8
The cuts keep coming. Next year, the South Whidbey School District will employ five fewer teachers. Declining enrollment has led to decreased funding seven years in a row. The district issued other budget-reducing measures by trimming the amount of hours for some positions, and the transportation and maintenance supervisor position was cut. “It’s painful at this point to lose anything,” said District Superintendent Jo Moccia. “We don’t lose students in convenient ways.” Two of the teachers, Jan McNeely and Gene Koffkin, retired. Their positions, however, are not being filled by new teachers. Two teachers will take leave next year, including third-grade teacher Caroline Bippart, who will teach in Beirut, Lebanon. South Whidbey High School science teacher Jay Freundlich is leaving South Whidbey schools for the Waldorf School in Seattle. While the district did not outright lay off the positions because the five teaching positions cut were resigning or retiring, teachers union officials for South Whidbey Education Association were dismayed by the outcome. “While the union understands declining enrollment and lack of funding, we will continue to fight on the local and state level for what’s best for kids and their education,” said union co-presidents Jan McNeely and Val Brown in a joint
Jo Moccia statement. “There were some reductions to programs, so some teachers saw a reduction of their positions. With a reduction in programs, there was also reduction in force. The RIF (reduction in force) happens by seniority.” Other South End teachers will see the reduction in force through a cut in how many hours or days they will work next school year. About 100 fewer students are expected to enroll in the school district that had about 1,450 students this year, which means about $1 million less for the $15 million revenue. “It’s difficult to predict sometimes what families and students will do,” Moccia said. The transportation and maintenance supervisor position, held by Kevin Lungren, will be eliminated. All duties previously run by the transportation and maintenance supervisor will be shared by Moccia and Dan Poolman, the business director. About $300,000 in reductions to classified positions such as para-educators and See Teaching, A8