A new batch of designs for how Iola schools might be improved and reconfigured greeted steering committee members at their meeting Tuesday night.
This is only the beginning, Rick Brown, project architect with SJCF Architects, Wichita, said.
Brown and Darin Augustine, project engineer, said they glean new ideas from each meeting of the 30-plus who regularly attend the meetings.
Ive got a stack 100-deep, Brown said, of various conceptions. Next month, expect even more. Were going to keep doing this until we get it right.
The goal is for committee members to develop a master plan of district buildings and a timeline for their implementation.
On Tuesday, plans included creating a central 23-acre campus enveloping the current high school and middle school, which would be extensively renovated, and placing a new two-story elementary school and athletic fields in the mix.
The plan included closing off Cottonwood Street alongside the high school in order to accommodate a new addition. Although it would achieve the goal of having all 285 high-schoolers under one roof for the greater part of the day, it was pretty much nixed when architects learned Cottonwood is used as a major thoroughfare through town. Their goal with the design was for increased safety.
Participants discussed the pros and cons of the plan. The convenience of having the schools grouped together was mentioned.
We currently have high-schoolers work with our students, so having them closer would be good, said Terri Carlin, a third-grade teacher at Lincoln.
On the flip side of the plan would be increased traffic.
As a parent, I would feel more nervous having my kids cross the street with all these high school drivers around, said Ryan Sparks, a young father of two. That concerns me more as a safety issue, than from the standpoint of security.
Also, Im not sure if were gaining that much by having the elementary school in the middle of the mix.
Other plans included using the current high school and middle school but with extensive renovations and additions. The footprint of the high school, for example, would increase from 103,000 to 160,000 square feet and include space for drama, arts and an auditorium. The high school was last renovated in 1988.
When asked how students feel about the high school, Stacey Fager, superintendent, said there are times when IHS students are put on the defensive. We host events such as FFA, he said. There are comments, at times, our students receive that arent so glamorous about the facility.
Morgan Dieker, local pharmacist, suggested having students participate in these meetings to discuss their schools.
Savannah Flory, LaHarpe, said it would be nice to preserve the high school and middle schools so that students can appreciate their historical significance and regard them as a privilege to attend.
