(9/24) Proposed fees associated with a Facility Use Policy initiated a lot of discussion at a recent meeting of the Fairfield Area School District Board of Directors.
Superintendent Thomas Haupt told the board in September that the district does not charge outside groups anything to use its facilities. The district, in turn, then loses money because it pays for maintenance and personnel costs.
Haupt proposed that the district have set prices to rent various spaces, including classrooms, the library, auditorium, cafeteria, gyms, and fields. Under Haupt’s proposal, Fairfield area youth recreation teams would not be charged unless the fields need to be painted before use, sound systems or scoreboards are used, custodians must work beyond their regularly-scheduled shift, locker rooms need to be cleaned, or admission is charged for the event. Several directors said those stipulations would lead to the youth recreation teams being charged for almost every use.
Haupt said Fairfield’s current free-for-all practice is unlike any other district in the area. He noted documentation shows Fairfield once imposed chargesbut then discontinued the practice.
Board Vice President Jack Liller expressed strong support for Haupt’s proposal. Liller noted the district has worked to improve its facilities in recent years and it must have the funds to maintain them in the future. Liller said he has previous experience with youth sports and believes the organizations can afford the fees.
"I’m not trying to bankrupt anybody but I don’t think programs should be running around with NFL microphones on their head, talking up and down like they are in a professional game and using professional equipment and not even paying for tearing up the fields," Liller said.
Board President Candace Ferguson-Miller was not as supportive.
"I don’t like it at all, I don’t like any parts of it," she said.
Some board members suggested only charging leagues if they charge admission to the events. Haupt pointed out that free events still come at a cost to the district. He said administrators will discuss the board’s feedback and return with a revised proposal.
"Remember, our job is to bring items for you to consider-good, bad, or indifferent," Haupt said. "I knew this was going to be a challenge."
Another proposed policy change was much less controversial. Haupt said the district currently does not have guidelines on how it discards of unusable equipment. Administrators propose managers must sell, scrap, or donate items they no longer need.
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