Dear editor,
Friday night I attended the ACC production of “Shrek the Musical.”
I was blown away with the backdrops, props and costumes, not to mention all the talent!
If you haven’t attended events put on by the students at Allen Community College, then you are really missing out. I encourage everyone to take part in the college and enjoy what the students have to offer.
Seeing “Shrek” on the big stage at the Bowlus was amazing. We are doubly blessed to have such a fine arts center.
Barbara Chalker
Anderson,
Iola, Kan.
Dear editor,
In my previous letter, I provided the short answer that I intended to vote YES for the school bond issue and the 1/2 cent sales tax.
Now here is the long answer. The current high school building was completed in 1916, (98 years ago) at a cost of $100,000. The current Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools (and the vocational arts building east of the high school) were completed in 1939, (75 years ago) at a total cost of $319,000, with $173,422 coming from the federal government’s WPA program and the rest, $145,578, coming from local taxes. McKinley was built in 1950, (64 years ago) at a cost of $230,000.
All three elementary schools ( like the old hospital, built in 1950 also) are poured concrete structures and built to last. Unfortunately those types of structures are difficult and very costly to renovate.
Built to last is good if nothing ever changes. But things do change, and most changes bring improvements to our quality of life. Some changes are forced on us by federal, state, or local laws or codes. Although these are also meant to improve our quality of life, we don’t always like it because generally there are no accompanying funds to pay for these forced changes. And the cost becomes our burden.
You can see that the 51 percent of the bond issue that the state will pay will not be the first time that our district has had outside help with school construction. Voters in the 1930s took advantage of the opportunity then, and now we current voters have a real opportunity to do the same thing, only on a much larger scale.
Many former and current students have gone through our entire school system and in so doing have developed many friendships, shared many experiences, developed long-lasting relationships, and along the way got educated, either by working at it or by osmosis. The 12-year trip, (13 if they went to kindergarten) produced many treasured memories for them that could give some an emotional attachment to one or more of their favorite buildings. And that’s OK. My attachment is to the old high school building. I have many fond memories from the old building. I spent three years there as a student, (five if you count juco)) six years as a teacher, coach and assistant principal, 12 years as the high school principal, and 14 years as the superintendent and was still responsible for the building. I have a lot of memories and I know others do, too. These memories will last forever — buildings won’t. We want to be careful that we don’t let our emotional attachments get in the way of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., being able to make their own memories in a bright new, healthy, and secure facility that is up-to-date and adaptable to new teaching techniques.
To date, 11,299 students have graduated from Iola schools since 1880; 643 of them before 1916 when the current high school was built. By 2016’s graduation date, 10,601 students will have attended IHS. The 1916 building will be 100 years old before any new high school could be built and I feel certain the Board of Education would be open to placing some kind of plaque in a prominent place in the lobby of the new school as a tribute to the 10,601 graduates of the 1916 building and their collective memories.
Recruiting top notch teachers is one of the most important jobs a superintendent does. But he can’t do it alone. It takes attractive and up-to-date teaching facilities as well as a good teaching environment with cooperative colleagues and good administrative support.
I’m sure the new hospital has been a boon to doctor recruitment and the same thing will hold true for teacher recruitment. Recruitment is a competitive process; whether for teachers, hospitals, or companies; when you find an applicant or candidate that has really good credentials, you can be sure other schools, hospitals or companies are interested in him/her also. It becomes a selling job then. You know the applicant is going to be interested not only in the salary and benefits of the job, but also available housing, medical facilities, recreational opportunities, school facilities (if they have, or expect to have, children) fine arts facilities and opportunities, church, and a host of other things that may be important to them. You find you are competing with any number of other communities who may be able to offer a higher salary and better benefits with much newer facilities than we currently have, so we have to stress our really good points and hope they make up for some of the weaker ones. A few years ago, the Iola Chamber of Commerce developed a video we could use to help sell our small town atmosphere, but it’s out of date now and has been for a long time. One of the young boys featured in is has long since graduated from high school and probably college.
With the Bowlus Fine Arts and Cultural Center, the new hospital, new school facilities, active recreational opportunities, the Prairie Spirit Trail, SAFE BASE, a city concerned for its infrastructure, Thrive Allen County, Allen Community College, the new ADA playground in Riverside Park, etc., our community is positioning itself for future growth.
The immediate task is to pass the school bond issue and the 1/2 cent sales tax!
VOTE YES for BOTH.
Don Bain,
Retired Superintendent of Schools, USD 257
