Sean C. Morgan
School District 55 revamped its community facilities use policy for the second time this year, opening it to more groups and simplifying what it charges.
“The board has approved a new facilities use policy that simplifies the fee structure,” Supt. Larry Horton said.
The new policy combines five tiers into three for calculating fees for using district facilities.
The first group, student activities, will be allowed at no charge unless staff costs are incurred.
The second group includes all nonprofit groups, which will pay a “minimal” fee, such as $5 per hour for a gym or $3 for a classroom. The group combines several tiers in the previous policy.
The third group includes for-profit groups and business, which will be charged based on a “fair-market” rate for similar facilities within the community.
“All nonprofits can actually request through the superintendent a waiving of the fee,” Supt. Horton said. While it’s not written in the new policy, the district hoped to encourage nonprofits to help with district and school facilities projects.
For example, Supt. Horton said, if the district needs help at a track meet, some members of a group of basketball players might help out. Members of another group might help paint a building.
“I think if people are taking an active role in projects, it’s going to feel more like their school and their district,” Supt. Horton said.
The fee for nonprofits barely covers the cost of utilities, Supt. Horton said. The fees are minimal, but he hopes people will be willing to help out at the schools.
His first year as superintendent, the district had seven different fees, Supt. Horton said. In practice, they were expensive fees that were not being charged. He formed a committee to develop a new policy, which was adopted by the School Board earlier this year.
The board approved the new policy at last week’s regular meeting.
Information distribution
The board is also considering how to deal with groups that distribute information through the schools.
A number of groups, ranging from the Scouts to the Boys and Girls Club, distribute information through classroom teachers. Supt. Horton is proposing to change how that information is distributed.
“What the board agreed to have me do was try to get together all the different groups that pass out information in our schools, who use our schools as a conduit for information,” Horton said. He will work with those groups to address district issues with the practice.
One issue is the amount of staff time used to distribute materials, Supt. Horton said. It can take hours of secretary time, district office time and teacher time.
From the secretaries’ standpoint, when materials are delivered to a site, they divide roughly 400 copies into stacks for each room and put them in teachers’ boxes. Teachers then take class time to pass them out.
The district probably spends about 30 man-hours each month delivering information. At a roughly estimated average pay of $15 per hour, it equates to roughly $4,500 per year in labor.
It also impacts education “very slightly,” Supt. Horton said. It takes a little bit of time, and it is probably not a critical issue.
“A major issue is which groups can pass out materials and which ones cannot pass out materials,” Supt. Horton said. The question was answered in federal court, and what is allowed for one is allowed for all.
“Once you start an open forum, then you have an open forum,” Supt. Horton said, and anyone must be allowed access.
“What we’re trying to do, in my mind, what I perceive as a possible solution is come up with a distribution area,” Supt. Horton said, then students who so choose can pick up materials. It also eliminates staff time for distributing information.
Groups, like the Boys and Girls Club and the Scouts, need to get information out through the schools, Supt. Horton said. A solution should allow them to do it more efficiently and treat the groups fairly.
Supt. Horton also offered the idea of organizing an information and recruitment night at different schools. Groups could be allowed to set up booths at these events.
Supt. Horton is planning a meeting with the groups for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 in the district board room.