Occasionally we receive an email from an anonymous correspondent. Usually, we ignore such missives but this person — he or she — writes in a refined manner and offers commentary that we find interesting.
Such an email arrived this week, containing a chart.
“One measure of the health and future of a community is the number of students graduating in the community,” the email began. An accompanying chart told a story: “The number of students graduated from Iola High in 2017 fell to a level that has not been seen since 1916.
“These numbers do not bode well for the future of Iola,” and salvation rests with the trend being reversed. “The numbers also clearly demonstrate the need for a single countywide consolidated school district.”
We concede, simply because over the years we’ve stumped for consolidation.
During meetings of the “new-school” committee, Chuck Apt, an Iola attorney, pointed out the number of students graduated in Iola, Moran and Humboldt this year were fewer than were in his senior class at IHS.
The committee was drawn together, including proponents and opponents of the failed new schools bond issue of two years ago, to consider what could be done to meet needs of Iola High and other USD 257 schools.
Mention was made of some form of consolidation, mainly of high schools in the county. Discussion was derailed before it started.
Too bad.
NO ONE should fuss with the needs clearly demonstrated from surveys of schools in Iola.
Elementary students would be better served with a school (assuming a single one was built) that provided all the modern amenities catalogued for students of that age. Teachers could detail individual programs better by working together and a multitude of physical improvements would be a part.
Iola High appears old but spiffy; it isn’t. Much could be done to improve its educational environment. The middle school probably is the crown jewel, if one exists in the district.
Moran and Humboldt have better facilities leading into upper secondary school, but they too could benefit from upgrades.
The Regional Rural Technical Center just outside LaHarpe — bless Ray Maloney for his foresight — quickly proved to be of advantage for students driving there daily, and also demonstrated it was not asking high school kids to perform an unsafe chore by motoring from their high schools to the center.
The tech center offers disciplines that would be unlikely to come about in single high schools. More offerings are planned.
CONSOLIDATION wouldn’t save huge sums of tax money, although having all districts in the county under the thumb of one administrative team would reap benefits in that arena. Many districts larger than Allen County’s three operate with one lead administration and support group.
No thoughtful person would propose transporting elementary students to a central school, and most in lower grades of secondary level should be kept at home. That would leave only high school students on the road. The assumption is they are perfectly capable of dealing with that issue.
Where to build?
Howard Morrison, a bachelor farmer who lived south of LaHarpe, wrote numerous letters to the Register 40 and 50 years ago, detailing the wisdom of a centrally located high school; he called it Allen Central. His proposed site was a few miles south of LaHarpe, equidistant from Moran, Humboldt and Iola.
Following that directive would be expensive, because of road access and utilities, and also would put it at bit out of reach for quick emergency services.
A school east of Iola, near the intersection of highways 54 and 169 would seem logical, though it would have to be situated outside the floodplain. Utilities wouldn’t be far away, nor would emergency services and necessities not available in a rural setting would be at hand.
Yet another site would be near Humboldt’s remarkable sports complex at the east edge of town. Utilities have been extended, land is available and U.S. 169 and access ramps are just a short drive away.
Other possibilities exist.
IOLA committee members bearing down on Iola schools is understandable.
However, as our unnamed friend pointed out in his email, we would be wise to at least look at some means of delivering education to our kids in the best of all ways.
Consolidation usually is mentioned in the same breathe with saving money, but a greater advantage would be increased offerings, both within traditional classes and those that escape smaller schools.
The regional tech center immediately demonstrated what can be done with forward-thinking in that vein. The same could be true with consolidated districts, and one high school.
Don’t throw the idea on the scrap heap. Think about it.
— Bob Johnson
