Most likely, Allen County will come to the rescue of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
County, city and school leaders met Thursday afternoon at the Bowlus to discuss the increasing challenge to USD 257 to meet its financial obligation to the Center and agreed its importance to the region necessitated their cooperation to ensure it is taken into the future.
“If we lost the Bowlus, it would almost take the soul out of Allen County,” said Tom Williams, Allen County commissioner. “I think the county owes it to the Bowlus to do everything we can to ensure its viability.”
Jim Talkington, also a county commissioner, said the county “is probably the biggest beneficiary of the Bowlus,” and threw his support behind Williams’s.
Last year more than 800 events were at the stately fine arts center, said Susan Raines, Bowlus executive director.
“We are busy,” she said.
What keeps the school district committed to holding its fine arts classes in the Bowlus Center is the will of benefactor Thomas H. Bowlus, which stipulates such an arrangement. If the district fails to live up to that condition, the center could become the property of the University of Kansas, according to the will.
Currently the school district pays $144,000 a year — about half of the Center’s operating budget — for the use of the Bowlus for its art, vocal and drama classes.
State cuts to education have made that untenable, said Jack Koehn, USD 257 superintendent of schools. “That’s 35 percent of our capital outlay budget,” he said, referring to the portion of the budget funded by local property taxes and typically used for maintenance and building projects.
“If the people of USD 257 continue to defeat bond issues for new schools, then our available resources continue to dwindle because maintenance needs escalate,” Koehn said.
Darrell Catron, school board member, noted Iola High School is the oldest school in use in Kansas.
“It’s also sinking,” Catron said, referring to the building’s foundation. Maintenance needs of the district’s aging structures far exceed their budget, Koehn said.
“I’m not sure we can fix what the Legislature has screwed up for you, but we’re willing to help you in regards to the Bowlus,” said Williams.
Because the county’s budget is the only one with any wiggle room — thanks to the construction of the Enbridge pipeline that runs through the county — it was the natural spigot to tap.
Currently, Allen County’s contribution to the Bowlus is $32,000 a year while the City of Iola allots 1 mill of property taxes, or about $29,000 a year.
Joel Wicoff, Iola mayor, pledged the city’s support for the Center.
