There are two ways to react to failure: Give up or see where you went wrong and try again.
So give USD 257 district officials credit for attempting another bond issue after its 2014 proposal failed miserably.
The difference in their tack is substantial.
This time, administrators and school board members have stepped back, putting the responsibility of what should happen on the shoulders of area residents. In 2014, the feeling among many was that the plans for an all-inclusive school campus was the idea of a select few. To avoid such an impression, administrators have insisted this school bond issue be 100 percent community-driven.
At Monday nights presentation of the proposal for a new elementary school and other significant expansions and upgrades, nary a school administrator said a word.
Instead, a committee of everyday citizens presented their case.
To get a good cross-section to serve on the committee, district officials purposefully requested those who lobbied against the 2014 issue to participate.
According to Ryan Sparks, a member of the steering committee, officials held two separate meetings of yes and no voters clear back in 2016.
At the time, I didnt think it was a good idea, Sparks said, but in hindsight, I think it worked perfectly because it made the no voters consider that if the 2014 plan wasnt good, then what is?
It started teaching us that this is about the kids, not about us, he said.
That can be a problem of small towns. We have too many special projects and issues that we want to protect the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, preserving old buildings, neighborhood revitalization that blind us to a greater purpose.
In late 2017, a core group of 22 began to meet faithfully to discern the school districts needs. They toured each school from stem to stern, walking in dank basements, looking into closets converted into work spaces and seeing how makeshift kitchens set up in the corners of gymnasiums could serve hundreds of students. They visited with teachers and paraprofessionals. They listened to the concerns of administrators who are losing good teachers for better-paying jobs and work conditions in Chanute or Garnett.
Knowing the districts needs, committee members then wanted to see how they could answer them, working with engineers and architects associated with Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey of Wichita, an architectural firm that specializes in school construction and renovation.
We really did our due diligence, said committee member Becky Nilges, referring not only in terms of homework but also in seeking public input. For every committee member there was a network of friends and associates with whom they discussed the issues facing the school district.
This process has changed my view, said Sparks. I came in thinking I had the answer, only to have it derailed eight months in.
Listening and validating the opinions of others takes a big person. And that quality was replayed over and over among the committee members. Not one of us ended up how we began, he said. By our last meeting, we had unanimous consensus on how to proceed.
Which is nothing short of success.
Heres to hoping for more.
Susan Lynn
