In a story in Tuesday’s Register noting the success of Sonic Equipment, operations director Eric Olson spoke about the effort involved to convince theater owners to switch from film to digital projection equipment. THOSE WITH reservations about building new schools voice the same concerns as Olson’s customers.
The decades-old system still works, after all.
Olson’s sales pitch is that the newer technology produces better quality, is more reliable, and, film is becoming obsolete.
To no surprise, the biggest stumbling block is the cost to implement digital technology. Four times as much. For a product with a 10-minute track record, the technology is so new.
“You go from a technology they had been using for 57 years, and you go to this new one, with a tenth of a lifespan … There was a real reluctance,” Olson said.
Besides selling the movie production equipment, Sonic also services it.
And that’s where being digital is of such huge advantage. With computers, Sonic technicians can repair or update equipment from their site in Iola, saving precious time and resources formerly spent on in-person service calls.
The current schools work well enough, they say, and if problems do exist, then fix them.
What they’re not willing to gamble is what new looks like.
Education experts tell us schools designed for the needs of students and educators provide superior educations.
In the case of schools, the building is not the change; it’s what allows the change to happen.
It’s been 25 years since Iola High School was renovated. And that was after two bond issues for new schools had failed. Even back in 1979 and 1985 board of education members thought new schools would best serve students, but they could not drum up adequate voter support.
Instead, three years later voters approved $3.7 million for renovations.
That’s called kicking the can down the road so other leaders at another time will have to face the music that we have a structure built in 1916 whose foundation is off-kilter and sends huge cracks up and down walls and causes the floor to buckle and slant.
The renovations of 25 years ago bought us time. But any point after this, investing in the current high school is throwing good money after bad.
Current school board members have voiced no support whatsoever for renovations, according to Tony Leavitt, president of the board, which is why they have no Plan B if the bond issue fails.
Because renovating the high school is pegged at $21-plus million, it’s unlikely any serious buyer will be in the market.
If voters approve new schools, plans are to keep the existing commons area and gymnasium and demolish the much-older three-story section, making it a more attractive property for prospective buyers.
It would be a great site for city offices, freeing up much needed space for the Iola Police Department and code enforcement personnel.
Just saying ….
— Susan Lynn
Embracing new can be hard to do
