The Iola School Board meeting was rather eventful Monday night. THE NEXT major presenter was Lisa Wicoff, representative of the facilities planning committee. THE BOARD briefly touched on a growing issue at Iola High — bullying. IOLA Middle School principal Jack Stanley had good news to share with the board. IMS received an award naming last year’s eighth-graders top 60 in the state.
First on the agenda was a presentation from senator-elect, current representative Caryn Tyson.
Tyson gave a brief presentation regarding the upcoming year and the needs of Kansas education. She said she didn’t know what the new legislation year would bring for education, but wanted to hear from school districts, especially rural towns, as to what their needs were.
“I have a major heartburn right now. We have a school putting down Astroturf and asking for money,” Tyson said. “It is an oxymoron. I played sports, most of us did, I love sports but we’re here about education.”
Board member Tony Leavitt asked her if she could shed some light on the upcoming year for education, if there would be any cuts.
“I’m not a fortune teller,” Tyson said. “I have no idea what the governor will propose.”
Board member Darell Catron asked if in the new legislation year would they revisit the 2.5-mile rule, which allows students from surrounding areas to attend other school districts.
“The state is losing money when they allow a district student (in one district) to go to a different district,” Catron said. “They could stop that by saying that a student is worth what they are worth in the district they live in.”
Tyson didn’t have an answer, but did say “rural versus urban will be the biggest argument you hear (this legislative year).”
At the last committee meeting, USD 257 faculty and staff and community members agreed they would advise the board to bring in a bonding firm for consultation and begin the interview process for an architect.
Wicoff presented to the board the committee’s decision and an informal survey she personally conducted, polling community members’ opinion on a new facility.
The committee had a few options, including doing nothing. That option, Wicoff said, was “not an option at all.”
“We decided to bring in the bond financing people and start interviewing architects,” Wicoff said.
She said she didn’t want to present it in a way that would make it seem set in stone, but that she believes it is a necessary step to be able to give the board and district residents, who will eventually vote for the bond, all the information available.
To bring in the bonding firm it doesn’t cost the district anything, so in the next several months the planning committee will gather as much information on location, cost, cost savings and the cost it would take to keep current facilities up to date.
“We are nearing the end of the lifespan of our buildings,” Wicoff said. “We need some kinds of strategic planning.”
Wicoff, in her informal survey, found some of the same recurring questions of concern:
• What does it actually cost USD 257 to educate one student? What percentage of that would we spend on maintenance?
• Where would be the location of the facility?
– What would happen to the old buildings?
• Would that sever ties with the Bowlus Fine Arts Center?
• Would this lead to the loss of students?
• What would happen to the bus barn and athletic facilities?
“I think we need to be very careful as a committee to these needs,” Wicoff said.
The board agreed with Wicoff. Information will be key to selling the bond issue to the community. It will also be key to making the decision of building an elementary school or an entire campus.
“A lot of the issues are the same, the needs are the same. What has changed is (the aging) schools,” board member Don Snavely said.
“The board takes these issues extremely seriously,” Leavitt said. “We will address the happenings or potential happenings in a more in-depth presentation at the next board meeting on Jan. 14.”
Curriculum director Angie Linn will be attending a meeting, Positive Behavior Supports, to address bullying further.
The board approved the USD 257 District Insurance Coverage for fiscal year 2014.
As a whole, the district is down in its workman’s compensation premiums, but a little higher in property and automobile premiums.
The board decided to stay with their current insurance Employers Mutual through Iola Insurance.
The board approved the Neighborhood Revitalization Project renewal.
Lincoln Elementary will be having its winter program tonight at 7 o’clock at the Bowlus.
On Dec. 18 Jefferson will be holding a chili feed at the high school to raise money for Raef Casner and his mom Lea. Raef is a fifth-grader who has liver cancer.
Strategic plan presented to school board
