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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Tuesday, June 24, 2014
CITY COUNCIL
USD 257 reaches out to Iola for schools proposal By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Calling it perhaps USD 257’s “last, best chance” to improve its educational facilities, Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn approached Iola City Council members Monday about a potential construction proposal for new elementary and high schools — if voters give their blessing. The roughly $50 million project — $24 million each for a new high school and elementary school, plus another $1 million for upgrades to Iola Middle School — would rely on a combination of state aid and voter-approved general obligation bonds and a halfcent sales tax split between the city and school district. The stars are aligned for USD 257 to pursue a massive project this year, Koehn said, noting the state would fund 51 percent of the project, plus the district can take advantage of a court-ordered revamping of how local options
budget taxes are assessed. Thus, what could have been a nearly 22-mill hike to fund everything, can be pared to a shade more than 9 mills. K o e h n spelled out the Jack Koehn needs related to the district’s three existing elementary schools, including their shortfalls: Safety and liability
Traffic around each of the buildings can be a pain with buses and cars having to load and unload in the same proximity. Because each of the buildings is 50 years old or older, water damage in subterranean levels has impacted air quality in each. “Due to the early 20th century architecture and design, we have few options to fix our air quality,” Koehn said. “It’s a huge issue for us.” The high school’s campus layout presents ongoing liability concerns, in that stu-
dents must walk daily across U.S. 54 from the main campus to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Additionally, Koehn noted every school in USD 257 remains non-compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) necessities regarding handicap-accessibility when looking at rest rooms, stairs, doors and parking. And while the elementaries have been designated at one time or another as city storm shelters, none was built to sustain tornadic winds. “Those schools were well built, but they’re not tornado shelters,” Koehn said, adding similar style buildings in Greensburg and Chapman were leveled in recent tornadoes. While the district has taken steps to make the buildings more secure to outsiders, none is designed to funnel visitors through the main office before accessing the main campus, he added. “It’s hard to tell if someone is a threat to your school by
Scott Stanley, director of operations, stands in water in the basement of McKinley Elementary School. Mold is an issue. looking at little cameras.” Educational efficiency
Special education space in each of the schools is inadequate and inappropriate, Koehn said. “Early 20th century design and architecture did not conceive of the need for special education services,” Koehn said. “These buildings aren’t designed for them.” As a result, the schools of-
Old house’s fate still up in the air By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The fate of a 93-year-old house within a stone’s throw of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center has the Friends of the Bowlus in the proverbial crosshairs of a growing segment of the population. A “Save the Northrup-Warren House” has drawn more than 500 supporters on Facebook in a matter of weeks, with many voicing concern the house at 217 E. Madison Ave., will be demolished. The resulting furor has led to hard feelings among some on the community, and unfairly painted the Friends in a negative light, Friends board member Ken McGuffin said. “I’ve received a few calls, and it’s been disappointing,” McGuffin said. “They’re not giving the board members any credit. We’re still analyzing and still looking at what we can do with the building.” “We’re still open to an idea that makes us say ‘Wow,’ to have the building stay viable” at the right cost, fellow Friends board member Fred Works added. But each suggestion must stand on three legs in order to be considered fully viable. “Is it financially feasible?” Works asked. “Is it politically feasible? And is it logistically feasible?” There’s the rub. Board members have considered multiple uses for the home, including designing an art gallery, administrative offices or classroom area. All have met dead ends. And while Works isn’t afraid of taking criticism for any decisions he or his fellow Friends board members make, “we don’t want the
ten have to adjust on the fly when a special needs student enrolls. Closets have been converted into makeshift classrooms. And it’s not unheard of for schools to relocate entire classrooms from the second floor to the first in the middle of the year to accommodate a special needs student, Koehn said. See CITY | Page A6
CITY COUNCIL
EMS deficit an issue By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Accessibility issues, insufficient water drainage, left, and antiquated electric wiring systems have made improving the Northrup-Warren home cost prohibitive, its owners, the Friends of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, say. The Friends own the 93-year old home and hope to decide soon on its fate. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN criticism based on misinformation.” THE FRIENDS acquired the two-story Tudor style home from Phyllis Warren in November 2011 as part of the committee’s long-standing priority — the purchase of property around the Bowlus as it becomes available. For all of its amenities and charm, the Bowlus was built in a densely populated area, Executive Director Susan Raines noted. “They squeezed this building into a tight area,” she
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said. “That’s why they had to build up” with second and third floors. “It needs elbow room.” The funds for the acquisition, $110,000, came from undesignated monies given by donors. The price was based on a pair of appraisals of the house. While there was some informal discussion at the time about using the house as a classroom or for social functions, the primary reason was to gain control of the property.
The house sat empty for nearly two years until the Friends acquired, then sold, a neighboring house at 200 S. Buckeye St. from Maxine Woolery, so it could be moved. When the Woolery house was sold to Iolans David Toland and Jim Talkington, the tenant there was allowed to move into the Warren home as a renter, until the Friends board decided what to do with the Warren home. That’s when the first issues regarding the home’s long-term viability began to See BOWLUS | Page A4
“With self-discipline most anything is possible.” — Theodore Roosevelt 75 Cents
Iola City Council members discussed ways to make up a growing budget deficit regarding its countywide ambulance service. While no decisions were made at their meeting Monday, council members will consider voting for a $5 surcharge on all local electric customers. Councilman Jon Wells said he wanted to speak with his constituents before voting on the service fee. The council members also directed City Administrator Carl Slaugh and City Attorney Bob Johnson to negotiate changes in its contract with the county. The existing contract, which includes a $750,000 annual contribution from the county, plus revenue generated from ambulance runs, will leave the city about $413,000 short of meeting its expenses by the end of the year. “The longer we kick the can down the road, the harder it’s going to be to make up the shortfall,” Slaugh said. Slaugh gave council members a number of options to generate revenue or cut expenses. The city could consider raising utility rates overall, increasing sales or property taxes or adding an EMS surSee EMS | Page A3
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