Its time to take a different approach to finding a new director for the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, recommended Patti Boyd, a member of the Bowlus Commission, charged with finding a replacement for Susan Raines, whose 14-year tenure ends this week.
Boyd told USD 257 Board of Education members Monday night that a job search that began in April has since fizzled. The search committee recently canceled a planned meet-and-greet with finalists when all three dropped out.
Commission members have suggested another tactic, perhaps by way of a professional recruiter.
It seemed more prudent to stop the process, Boyd said. The job has always been special because the Bowlus is special. Now, its at a crossroads and we want a person who can get us to the next step, Boyd said, referring to the districts decision to withdraw all classes from the center.
Responsibilities of the director include leading the performing arts center, managing its budget and writing grants.
The job hunt process began in April, with 30 applications received by the May 11 deadline. Boyd said the commission was pleased with the initial crop of candidates. That list was whittled to six who were interviewed remotely by using video calls. The top three were expected June 14 for in-person interviews with the commission and other community leaders. Instead, all three had accepted other jobs and the interviews were canceled.
If a recruiter were hired, most demand a fee equal to half the positions salary. Commission members want to find someone who will do it for less, Boyd said.
Were thinking more in terms of connections we might already have, like employment experts at area colleges or former Bowlus students who have built successful careers in the performing arts and might know someone in the industry.
Orchestra joins Bowlus
The Bowlus will absorb the Iola Area Symphony Orchestra, Raines told school board members. The orchestra, a non-profit volunteer group, has struggled financially and the Bowluss mission encourages support of the fine arts, she said. A contract calls for two concerts each year with rehearsals. Financial costs like conductor fees and mileage will be paid for with the Stephenson Family Trust. The arrangement will save money on things like insurance costs. The group owns instruments, and Raines suggested they use any of their leftover funds for instrument repair before rehearsals start this fall.
Raines gave a laundry list of projects in her final meeting with the board. She said estimates to restore a Sandzen painting came back lower than expected, likely between $5,000 to $6,500. Preliminary reports indicate the artist originally used a washed canvas for the painting and while it may have been cleaned previously, it likely wasnt restored by anyone but the artist.
She asked the board to complete paperwork that would allow for an easement with the city to drain water through the alley during construction of the new parking lot. Water drainage typically occurs through a sump pump and pipes under concrete.
She also told the school board they needed to apply for a credit card because the current one uses her name and Social Security number.
Raines gave a preview of next years budget, which cannot be finalized until the fiscal year is completed and remaining bills turned in. Since several projects are ending, like the new entrance at $1 million, and the county is adding 1 mill to fund the budget, next years budget will look quite different from previous years. The 2017-2018 operations budget showed about $1.58 million actual income and $1.59 million in expenses, compared to an estimated $444,4000 income and expenses for 2018-2019. Most of the major continuing expenses, like salaries, showed only a slight change, from $209,191 to $230,933 next year.
In other Bowlus news, a ribbon cutting for the new Bowlus entrance and addition, with tours and entertainment, is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Diana Asher said as part of a report from the Friends of the Bowlus. Asher serves as president of the Friends.
