Dear editor,
We encourage you to vote yes on the school bond issue on April 2. We both attended junior and senior high in Iola and were pleased with the education we received. However, we graduated in the late 1960s and early 70s and education had not changed much from what it was when the Iola schools were built.
As education made changes to be effective for more students to be able to learn, school buildings needed to change. Iola has not done that.
Other than adding some space to the elementary buildings nearly 40 years ago, adding gym and commons space to the high school 30 years ago, and the same type of space to the middle school 27 years ago, no changes have been made to the space where lessons are taught. Education itself has changed quite a bit in that time, from the addition of special education classes for needs of students that simply went largely unmet when we were in school, to the addition of safety rules to which schools must now adhere, our buildings no longer serve our students in the manner that would be most beneficial.
We would like to offer a comparison.
Our car is nearly old enough to vote. We still enjoy that car and it gets us where we need to go. However, the car no longer truly meets our needs. Our family size has changed and not everyone fits in it anymore. The available technology that can make travel safer has improved greatly since it was new. This car is still a good car, especially for someone that has a smaller family than us.
Like our car, our schools still have a lot of life in them, even though they are old. However they do not truly meet the needs of our students, as students are having to learn in old locker rooms, maintenance closets, and tiny spots under stairwells.
Using technology and other advances in education, especially that have occurred in the last 20 years is difficult to do. We are paying extra money to have the same program available in three or more separate locations instead of all being housed together and we need staff to cover different buildings which requires more staff or staff that travel and split time.
Large-ticket maintenance issues for major items such as HVAC, roofs, mold problems and the wear and tear that 80 or more years of heavy use cause, are tying school funds that could be used to improve the educational experience, pay more competitive salaries to our staff and/or reduce the taxpayer share. The buildings are still great for some purpose, but they are not great for providing 21st century education.
We ask you to consider voting yes for the school bond. Yes, for an elementary that will serve all our students. Yes, for improving the science and cafeteria building at the high school. Yes, for new HVAC at the middle school. Yes, for the opportunity to repurpose some wonderful old buildings for a positive new life that might bring more life back to Iola.
Sincerely,
Walt and Mary Ann Regehr,
Iola, Kan.
