(WGTD)---An outpouring of support prompted the Kenosha School Board Tuesday night to vote six to one to save the Bradford High School planetarium.
Citing low usage, and the erroneous belief that high-tech had made the 55 year-old dome all but obsolete, board members originally appeared to support demolishing the structure and reallocating the funds that had been earmarked for its restoration.
That thinking quickly went out the window when a parade of speakers went before the board to explain that the planetarium, while underused, is still a valuable teaching tool that can continue to enthrall.
Pauline Hammerbeck is the parent of a nine year-old who wants to work for NASA someday. They recently visited the planetarium and learned that it’s far from a relic. "I've also learned that planetariums just aren't limited to the study of astronomy," Hammerbeck said. "They're now multi-purpose, multi-disciplinary science theaters," she said.
While the shell may need a little work, the inner-workings of the planetarium were replaced with digital technology just six years ago. At about the same time, though, the planetarium lost its director in a teacher re-assignment shuffle, leading to a dramatic downturn in usage.
In recent months, the place was adopted by a Bradford physics teacher, and professors from Carthage have volunteered to train other Bradford teachers in how to run the equipment.
Board member Bill Duncan, originally anti-planetarium, has had a change of heart. "I realize I have focused too much on the under-utilization of the planetarium versus the ongoing availability of what this instrument of higher learning can really do for this community," he said.
Also expressing support was the president-elect of the International Planetarium Society, an employee of Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. He made a special trip to Kenosha to appear before the board.
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