Its not easy to keep high school students motivated when it comes to online learning, Iola High School Principal Scott Crenshaw told USD 257 board members Monday night.
To provide a more conducive learning environment, the district plans to convert part of the high school library into an internet cafe. There, students can focus on their work in a comfortable, quiet spot but under supervision.
We need to morph into the mindset that attendance is mandatory, Crenshaw said.
IHS allows students to take online-only classes, with hours of the school day mapped out for that purpose. But teenagers sometimes lack the discipline needed for self-directed learning.
The kids havent quite gotten to that maturity level of I want to learn this so I become a better person, Crenshaw said. They take more monitoring, and well have someone involved to make sure theyre successful and not just Googling answers or speeding through it.
Board member Doug Dunlap said many schools use internet cafes to enhance the online learning experience and ensure student success.
Plans call for maintenance crews to wrap bookshelves around the walls of the library and build a workstation in its center. Facilities director Aaron Cole estimated it can be done for about $800.
We need to do it on a shoestring budget, Crenshaw said.
Thats because the set-up may be temporary due to security concerns with the school. Currently, visitors can enter the schools east doors with no restrictions.
The district hopes to look at alternatives that could move the office closer to the entrance, perhaps even requiring visitors to travel through the office before they can access other parts of the school.
But that could be a couple of years away. Board president Dan Willis said he plans to ask for suggestions from SJCF Architects, which is designing a new science and technology building at the high school as part of a recently approved bond issue. Willis hopes SJCF can find a cost-effective way to move the office, and perhaps address some settling issues on the second floor at the same time. The project would not be part of the bond issue to construct the new science building, but perhaps could be done to coincide with construction and save costs.
DONNA Houser reported on restroom remodeling at the football stadium at Riverside Park.
She launched efforts to renovate the stadium starting about four years ago, and said it has taken quite some time to get to the restrooms. Work was recently completed in the womens restroom, save for painting the floor and adding a new door.
The restroom now meets requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act, with handicapped-accessible stalls and sinks, and automatic-flush toilets. The changes reduced the number of toilets from four to three, so Houser found a small space in the room that could be converted to accommodate a smaller toilet.
Houser still plans to raise money to remodel the mens restroom, which is now the only place in the stadium that features an outdated blue and gold color scheme. Everything else has been painted blue and white.
Superintendent Stacey Fager thanked Houser for her work on the project.
