State Provides $27.5 Million to Rebuild Two Oak Harbor Schools

On December 23, 2025 the state legislature approved a $27.5 million capital allocation secured by State Sen. Ron Muzzall, R Oak Harbor, to support rebuilding two schools in the Oak Harbor School District. The funds are designated as matching money to help the district pursue roughly $106 million in federal construction reimbursement through the Department of Defense program for schools on federal property. Because both Crescent Harbor Elementary and the Hand in Hand and HomeConnection building sit on federal land, the DOD could cover up to 80 percent of construction costs if the district provides the required 20 percent match.

The state allocation breaks down to $13.9 million for a new building to house Hand in Hand and HomeConnection, which provide early learning and home school support, and $13.6 million for Crescent Harbor Elementary. Local education leaders said the funding restores the district's ability to move forward on two of the three schools it originally sought to replace through a bond measure that did not pass.

District officials have long cited overcrowding as a pressing concern. Both Crescent Harbor and the Hand in Hand and HomeConnection site rely on portable classrooms that lack full infrastructure and do not include bathrooms. Those conditions carry public health implications for students and staff, including sanitation challenges and limited access to age appropriate facilities, and they hinder equitable access to early learning services for families across the island.

For Island County families the funding represents a potential turning point. New buildings would improve learning environments, expand space for special programs, and reduce dependence on temporary structures that are not designed for long term use. The Hand in Hand and HomeConnection site serves children in critical early learning stages and families pursuing alternative education pathways, making investment there a matter of educational equity as well as facility improvement.

District leaders told the school board that the capital budget now requires only the governor's signature before the funds are released. If the state dollars are finalized and the district qualifies for DOD reimbursement, construction plans can move forward, bringing long awaited relief to students, educators, and families in Oak Harbor.