Orcas loves its schools.

But not enough of us were willing to help fund the district’s $35 million campus improvement project.

The maintenance and operations levy was approved last week, with more than 67 percent of the vote. But while the facility improvement bonds drew a 55 percent majority, it fell just short of the 60 percent that is required for approval.

The school is not giving up on its multi-million dollar plan, and we’re glad. The board is adamant: the buildings are falling apart. Voters need more time to understand the issues, ask questions, and form educated opinions. We’ll be seeing it again on either the spring or fall ballot.

Despite the Feb. 4 superior court ruling that the state Legislature is not fulfilling its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education, the arrival of funds is very much up in the air. By the time we see more state funding, our kids could be taking their SATs in a yurt.

The school board wrote in our letters section on Feb. 3, a week before the election results: “We want staff, community, and parent involvement so that the final product will truly reflect all that you have asked of us, completed within, or under, the bond budget. In the future, we will be considering the formation of an advisory committee similar to the Budget Advisory Committee that will work with us to create the best, most economical, maintenance efficient, project for our district.”

We think the school board should form a citizens advisory committee now. This will give the community assurance of hands-on involvement in the project. If that had been done with previous bonds, we may not have such poor quality buildings today.

The big question now is: will the school keep the project at $35 million or shave off some costs?

For the time being, it appears the school board is keeping with the plan that has taken years to refine. We’ve supported the bond from day one, but we agree that the scope of the renovations and new construction are immense. Maybe it would be more palatable to voters if items like the new track and a career and technical education building are removed from the list of immediate additions.

We trust the school board will weigh all of its options and present a measure that is best for our community. Most can agree that quality education is the cornerstone of a strong community. We just need to agree on how much we’re willing to pay for it.