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Thursday, August 1, 2013
VOL. 18, NO. 52
Low enrollment prompts CSD to rollback levy By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter
The Coupeville School Board is scheduled to approve next month a rollback on the amount of levy dollars the district can collect from taxpayers. The school board is scheduled to rollback the district’s levy by $246,000. The roll back will reduce the school district’s levy to $2.23 million in the 2013-2014 school year, which is down from the $2.4 million amount voters approved nearly four years ago. School officials had to reduce the levy because the approved amount exceeded the amount the district can legally collect.
During the July 22 school board meeting, Sheldon Rosenkrance, principal at the high school, said the district’s enrollment has declined, which means a reduction in state revenue. The rollback comes as school officials put the finishing touches on their 2013-14 budget. The Coupeville School Board reluctantly approved during a recent public meeting the district’s $10.3-million budget. School officials said they are concerned the budget isn’t sustainable and could lead to cutbacks in the future. “We’re going to be addressing a fairly significant budget hole,” board member Don Sherman said during the meeting. Board members were concerned about the
school district’s fund balance, which is slated to be just above 5 percent of revenue. The projected fund balance is on the low end of the school board’s goal of maintaining a 5-8 percent fund balance. A fund balance is needed in case the district encounters any unexpected expenses through the school year. Even though the fund balance is near the bottom, Superintendent Jim Shank, who started his position in June, described the fund balance as “solid.” School officials are projecting that the equivalent of 910 full-time students will attend Coupeville schools in the 2013-14 school year, which is a lower projection from the previous year. An accurate enrollment projection
is necessary because state funding is based on the number of students. The school district did receive an additional $130,000 in state funding that will help pay for materials, supplies and operating costs. The district also received an additional $28,000 that will help pay for transportation costs. The coming year poses several challenges for the school district. Most notably the Coupeville School District has two levies that expire. One is the maintenance and operations levy and the other is a technology levy. Voters could decide whether to re-approve both levies as early as February 2014.
WORKING WHARF Volunteers help restore landmark By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter
Amid tourists looking to enjoy the pristine views of Penn Cove, a group of Whidbey volunteers are working to ensure a historic building remains part of Coupeville landscape. A group of volunteers, composed of Coupeville Lions Club members and other interested residents, spent the better part of two weeks repairing siding and painting the south wall of the Coupeville Wharf, which is located at the end of the pier in the town’s historic downtown. “We’ve been looking forward to this being done for two years,” said Jim Patton, executive director for the Port of Coupeville, the taxpayer-funded entity that owns the Coupeville Wharf. The south wall bears the brunt of the windy, winter weather that sweeps through Penn Cove each year. They were working as part of the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing Field School, a twoweek project that takes place every year. Volunteers spend two weeks improving a historic building and learn about preservation within Ebey’s Landing National Historic
Nathan Whalen photo
Coupeville resident Jilian Sayers works on the Coupeville Wharf as part of the Field School sponsored by the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing. Volunteers spent two weeks replacing siding on the south wall of the historic building.
Reserve. The Coupeville Wharf was originally constructed in 1909. Back then it was used as a storehouse for grain that was being shipped off Whidbey Island. Currently, it houses a restaurant, gift shop and coffee house. It provides moorage for visiting boaters, while giving tourists a place to have an up-close encounter with wildlife and passing boats. Volunteers started their work last week and, once they finish today, they will enjoy a barbecue to celebrate the fruits of their labors. The commissioners of the Port of Coupeville will purchase the hot dogs and bratwurst, which will be cooked by Coupe’s Last Stand. They will use their own money to purchase the food and not public dollars. The preservationists have been removing and replacing boards that are in fair to poor condition, said Annie Matsov, historic architect for the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing. Prior to the project, students from the University of Oregon’s historic preservation program assessed the structure.
See WORK, page 2