The USD 257 Board of Education voted Monday to discontinue holding classes at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
In 1960, Iola banker Thomas Bowlus left in his final will and testament directions for the creation of a fine arts center in downtown Iola and instructions that the center be used for the arts education of the districts students.
The will also named school board members as trustees of the center.
For more than 50 years, Iola High School and Iola Middle School (then Iola Junior High School) have used the centers facilities for classroom learning, and have paid for the privilege to do so.
In February of last year, in the lengthening shadow of Kansas school budget crisis, the district asked the court to look again at Bowlus will and articulate in clearer terms the exact nature of the districts obligations to the fine arts center.
In November, Judge Robert Fairchild of Lawrence returned his interpretation, declaring: Whether or not the Board of Education continues to hold classes in the cultural center is within [the boards] discretion.
Mondays vote to finally remove the remaining drama, choir and art classes from the Bowlus beginning next school year was unanimous (board member Doug Dunlap was absent).
AS FOR THE continued funding of the fine arts center, the district is pledging 1 mill annually ($52,000; down from $57,000 this year). The City of Iola also contributes 1 mill to the center ($29,500). The county is currently in its final year of a 3-year, $100,000 commitment to the Bowlus. Representatives of the fine arts center are meeting with the Allen County Commission today regarding the nature of the countys future financial involvement.
PRIOR TO the vote, district administrators highlighted for the board some of the inefficiencies that followed from holding classes at the Bowlus arts center.
Middle school principal Brad Crusinbery brandished an extrapalotory math showing, because a students daily commute to and from the Bowlus resulted in a full 10 minutes of lost educational time, that student forfeited 27.5 hours or seven weeks worth of classroom time in a single school year. And that, said Crusinbery, is a conservative estimate.
Iola High principal Scott Crenshaw pointed to the hassle, not to mention the danger, that arises from the many high school students who eagerly contravene the rule against driving to the Bowlus. The risk of accident looms with this sort of unsanctioned traffic in and out of the schools three parking lots, said Crenshaw.
The principal noted, too, that the distance between the high school and the Bowlus makes him feel completely disconnected from his teachers over there. Theyre harder to reach than the in-house teachers, explained Crenshaw, plus theyre not able to benefit from the sort of peer-to-peer encouragement that would be on offer to them if they shared a facility with the districts other teachers.
Administrators are confident that the district buildings can be successfully retrofitted to accommodate the arts courses currently being offered at the Bowlus.
The district is confident, too, that the transition from the Bowlus can be completed in full by the start of next school year.
For the most part, however, administrators and board members were at pains to reassure Bowlus staff and commision representatives, many of whom were in the room, of the districts undiluted dedication to arts education at USD 257.
I think its important that everyone understands that this is not a statement in opposition or against or [in an effort] to devalue the arts in any way, shape or form, said board member Jen Taylor. I think were all committed [to the idea] that fine arts are extremely important; theres nothing on the board to take away the fine arts requirement or the speech requirement. Taylor went on to express her gratitude to the Bowlus staff and to the volunteers who help sustain it. What you do is so valued. And I just want to make it very clear: to us, the arts are still very important.
