Former superintendent Don Bain saw the opening of two science buildings in Iola.
Bain taught science when a new facility opened in 1964. Now retired, Bain was on hand Saturday morning to tour the building that replaced it.
“This is an amazing facility and it’s quite an improvement,” he said. “I understand the old one has deteriorated quite a bit.”
The new science and technology building, with its massive commons area and a new cafeteria, was unveiled to the public with an open house on Saturday. High school students and faculty gave tours to small groups, as hundreds of visitors stopped by to check it out.
Bain recalled the challenges of moving from an old building that doubled as a custodian’s house, where chemicals were stored in the basement.
“We were practically in the middle of the school year, so we were moving while we were teaching,” he said.
Bain was accompanied by his former assistant superintendent, Richard Chase. Their history goes back to their teens, when they competed against each other in athletic competitions in high school and college. They later served as principals for area schools at the same time, and Bain asked Chase to work with him when he took over as superintendent. They worked together for 20 years.
The two walked from classroom to classroom, frequently stopped along the way by former coworkers, students and others in the community. They took time to reminisce about the former building, and learn about the features included at the new one.
“So many former students are here,” Bain said.
BAIN and Chase spent quite a bit of time in the new culinary and nutrition classroom, which features six cooking stations and state-of-the-art equipment.
It was a popular stop on the tour, where instructor Breanna Floyd talked with visitors about the various appliances and updates.
“They are really impressed with how the stations are a cross between a commercial and a home kitchen,” she said. “We have those commercial touches in here, which they’ve never seen before.”
Floyd said she expects the new classrooms will result in increased interest in her classes. Cooking classes tend to be a bit more popular than some of the other family and consumer science classes, such as sewing.
She’s looking forward to having more room, allowing for more groups. She also can reduce the size of her student groups, from four students to three, to allow for more focused instruction.
MEMBERS of the steering committee that helped usher through a bond issue for the new building got their first look at the result of their efforts.
