By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Risers are a big part of musical education. Especially for parents of kids in the back row. Monday evening, the USD 428 Board of Education approved the purchase of six sets of risers for each Great Bend elementary school, as well as for Great Bend High School. Assistant Superintendent John Popp explained the need.
"I believe the current risers we use are in the order of 14 or 15 years old," he said. "They lay down, then you pull them up and they latch in place. If that latch comes loose, it would crash down and hurt a lot of little children. We're starting to have concerns about them being safe."
The district purchased 30 three-step, six-foot risers and back rails from Wenger Corporation for $47,929.80, and the high school risers carry a price tag of $15,278.60, for a total cost of $63,208.40. Popp and Assistant Superintendent JoAnn Blevins discussed a move of elementary concerts to Great Bend High School due to space concerns and the pandemic.
"Especially through the COVID time we were moving everything to the high school," Popp said. "We're starting to explore potentially having more at the elementary, but there's still the need to practice on risers for the kiddos even if we do have the program at the high school."
Enrollment for the upcoming school year is Aug. 2-3, and grades K-6 begin school on Aug. 23.