The Region 9 Board of Education has approved spending up to $200,000 to replace the Joel Barlow High School auditorium stage floor, lighting and sound system, upgrades staff and parents agree are long overdue.
The $193,000 project allocates $146,000 to a new sound system, with the remainder for stage and lighting improvements. At the Aug. 19 meeting, parents, students and staff urged the board to act, citing safety concerns with the splintered stage and frustration with outdated equipment.
“We think everyone agrees that we want a quality sound system and the current sound system does not meet our needs,” Superintendent of Schools Jason McKinnon told the board.
Before the board voted, several residents urged members to support the project.
Easton resident Joanna Ollendorff said performing arts students deserve the same priority given to athletes. She argued the performing arts are not extracurricular. They are essential to building communication skills, teamwork and leadership, she said.
“Our students involved in performing arts work so hard, whether it is in theater, choir, band or a school assembly, but the reality is they are doing this on a stage that is worn down, splintered and outdated and with the sound system that makes it nearly impossible for all their voices and instruments to shine,” Ollendorff said. “Our kids deserve the same quality of space and equipment that they would have and we would expect on the athletic field or in their classrooms.”
At the meeting, a parent submitted a letter describing how her child was injured last year by stage splinters. Because the family could not attend, resident Penny Jacobus read the letters aloud on the parent’s behalf.
“I know budgets are always a concern, but it seems time to figure this one out and address it,” she read. “I am hopeful this will be made a priority ASAP and there are many of us who would be happy to help.”
Andy Pohlen, Barlow’s technical director and producer for the theater department’s shows, said the stage floor has become a potential safety hazard.
He had hoped the stage floor could have been replaced over the summer, well ahead of the school’s first show in November. But since that didn’t happen, the students are willing to find work-arounds to accommodate the work, he said.
The board issued a request for proposals in the spring, and DNR Laboratories of Watertown submitted a bid that accomplishes everything they need, McKinnon said. Over the summer he reviewed the project and the proposal with Paul Merchant of the CES/EdAdvance Collaborative, who has overseen similar projects in nearby towns.
Merchant said the work will be completed in four phases: replacing the sound system, rebuilding the stage, upgrading the lighting and eventually adding livestreaming capabilities.
The current sound system, dating to the 1990s, is obsolete, he said, with only 16 channels compared to more than 40 on modern boards. A new soundboard—estimated at $15,000—would “future-proof” the space and should be housed in a booth to protect it. Speakers also need replacement, though microphones can be upgraded gradually.
Merchant said the lighting system still functions but should be converted to energy-saving LEDs, which require fewer fixtures and lower costs over time.
He added that the stage floor is also in poor condition and should be replaced or refinished as soon as possible, but emphasized the importance of upgrading the sound system. “If you can’t hear the students on stage, what’s the point of going to the show?” Merchant told the board.
When the project can begin depends on how quickly the materials can be acquired, McKinnon said. Some materials may be immediately available, but parts of the system are manufactured in Germany and will need to be shipped.
