The black box/theater debate will come to a theoretical end this Thursday. The Bainbridge Island School Board will pick one of three options to replace the aging Captain Johnston Blakely Elementary School and Bainbridge High School’s 100 Building.

A fourth option, to replace Blakely and “postpone, patch and repair” the 100 Building, has been dropped.

District officials announced Monday that the board decided to focus on replacing buildings “because the cost of addressing building deficiencies through modernization was practically the same as replacement.”

The three remaining options for consideration include:

• A $68.5 million bond measure to replace Blakely and the BHS 100 Building, which includes a 150-175-seat black box performance space;

• A $77.5 million bond measure to replace Blakely and the BHS 100 Building, which includes a 300- to 450-seat performance space; and

• A $80.2 million bond measure to replace Blakely and the BHS 100 Building, which includes a 600-seat performance space.

All of the options will also include repair work at Ordway Elementary and the Commodore Options School, as well as asset preservation work at Sakai Intermediate School, Woodward Middle School and the BHS 300/400/500 buildings.

Following the Oct. 29 meeting, final approval of the preferred bond proposal is planned for Nov. 12.

In recents months, community members have been asked to weigh in on the options for replacing outdated school facilities. Much of the talk has centered on the need for a new theater at BHS.

District officials have been talking about putting a ballot measure before voters next February.

Community members are welcome to attend the meetings or can email comments related to the bond proposals to capitalprojects@bisd303.org.

The school board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 in the board room next to the Commodore commons.