USD 257 ‘won’t walk away’ from Bowlus

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September 24, 2014 - 12:00 AM

School officials, past and present, refuted comments from Iola attorney Clyde Toland that said building new elementary and high schools could jeopardize USD 257’s affiliation with the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
In a letter in Tuesday’s Register, Toland said pulling vocal and instrumental classes out of the Bowlus and into a new campus would violate a clause in Thomas Bowlus’ will that stipulates the district continue to offer fine arts courses at the fine arts center. Without those courses, ownership of the facility transfer to the University of Kansas, Toland said.
Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn spelled out the district’s plans for the Bowlus if voters approve new schools.
Rather than band and vocal music, the classes held in the Bowlus would include music composition, recording engineering or music production and be offered in a half-day setting.
For visual arts courses, the district would make plans for such things as digital graphics art, web development, broadcast video journalism.
Drama students could focus on event or stage productions as well, Koehn said.
“There’s no way the district will walk away from the Bowlus,” Koehn said. “I see this as a great opportunity for students.”
Ken McGuffin, former Jefferson Elementary School principal and a member of the Friends of the Bowlus, agreed.
“We’re not going to walk away from the Bowlus,” McGuffin said. “I don’t want to take exception with the person who wrote it, but it’s taking some things out of context with the will, and how we’re going to still keep the Bowlus.”
McGuffin said the new programs could provide students with skills to help propel them into the 21st century.

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