POULSBO — The North Kitsap School District has offered to lend a hand any way it can to the strapped-for-cash Poulsbo Marine Science Center — every way except financially. Talks between NKSD, the Marine Science Society of the Pacific Northwest and City of Poulsbo — the latter to which the center pays its rent — have ensued over the past week. And the school district has taken the stance that it can help increase communication in broadening support for the center without giving direct financial assistance.

“This issue isn’t the school talking it over,” said NKSD Supt. Gene Medina at the school board’s July 8 meeting. “But rather how we, as a community, create relationships.”

The school district pays $36,000 to rent the facility per year and also foots the bill for the custodial, security and utilities for the science center, reported NKSD Finance and Operations Director Nancy Moffatt. The society pays $1,000, or one-fourth of its rent each month, with NKSD picking up the rest.

“We’ve been carrying that place,” said school board member Dan Delaney. “I think the direction you’re going to broaden support is good.”

“The center is currently (two months) behind (rent),” Medina relayed to the board from his meetings with Poulsbo Mayor Donna Jean Bruce and Finance Director Nanci Lien. “But the exciting part is that everyone’s interested in having this dialogue … and we want to continue that dialogue.”

The search for additional financial support will have to be broad — aside from being two months behind rent, officials from the Marine Science Center has said it needs $50,000 to keep the center afloat until the end of the year, reported Moffatt.

School board member Ed Strickland was less than optimistic that the center would survive — but added that the district wouldn’t be able to come to its aid given its own belt-tightening finances.

“We don’t have a choice,” Strickland said. “And the dollars will run out.”

“I don’t think we should spend one dime of taxpayer money,” added board member Dick Endresen.

The school district currently has two instructors teaching two sections each semester at the center, totaling eight classes per year, said Student Support Services Director Gregg Epperson.

Strickland also conveyed other issues he had with using the Marine Science Center for so many sections in the first place. When Strickland found out from Epperson that a total of two sections of physics were taught at the high school — while there are eight at the center — he was less than pleased.

‘We’ve got a real problem here,” Strickland said, referring to the fact that physics was a “class you need to understand” because it is covered on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test.

Concerning the overall picture, however, Medina countered by saying “the tragedy would be the non-continued use of that facility.”

Medina added that it is up to the public regarding the Marine Science Center’s future in Poulsbo.

“This community will choose if they want that resource,” Medina said. “… We’ll be there as educators.”