There is a school board meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. behind the HS in the North Campus.
The agenda is available here (PDF).
There were some changes to policies, however, the sections were noted, but the actual changes were not included (this included student dress code and some other handbook type items).
I also took note of the facility requests. The new policy now exempts even the listing of Class A & B requests. Class C & D groups do need to be approved. One of the big issues with this new policy was charging fees to youth leagues and clubs specifically rental fees.
What I noticed looking through is that three groups' requests included the phrase "a waiver of ...fees is requested." I'm guessing the waiver is requested by the group on the application, but I wonder why we even bother to consider waiving fees upon request. If fees are to be applied based on the Class then they should be applied equally across all in that class.
For the groups requesting the waivers, two this month are Class D, one Class C. Of the Class D, one is requesting the MS Parking Lot on a Saturday and the other the MS Auditorium one evening. At the same time, the Nazareth Soccer Club, Class C, is assessed rental fees for using grass fields at Bushkill and Lower Nazareth for games and practice.
If this policy is to work, the fees should be applied equally. I'd much rather have our own community based youth leagues receive a waiver than a third party without specific ties to the community.
Further, the Band Parents are assessed fees for Soundfest. I don't think they should be assessed if we waived the fees for the McDonald's football game. I don't know if we approved the waiving of fees, but I know it is requested each year. Not that the game doesn't generate revenue for a good cause, but having staff, electricity, etc., for the evening is not unlike the expense of Soundfest. One could also argue that the McDonald's Game should pay for field rental same as the Soccer Club must to use fields (and the soccer club doesn't require locker room facilities and trainers).
Now that we've gone the route of assessing rental fees to groups in the community benefiting our children directly, I don't think we should be randomly waiving fees, especially to groups that don't specifically benefit our community and its children.
What do you think?
4 comments:
Anybody know why enrollment numbers (when you look at 12 grade down to K) is declining while the budget and buildings are increasing?
Also, are the fees associated with school properties depend on whether it is a sporting activity and by the type of sport when it is (i.e. favor certain sports)?
The revised policy and fee schedule is available here.
Regarding the enrollment there was a bubble and the largest classes are now at the HS level.
Overall enrollment is down from 2 years ago. Couple that with a housing slow-down and I think it would be safe to say we are no longer a growth district.
We have added facilities and buildings and those need to be maintained regardless of the number of students.
Also, we have to pay for our debt. The current MS building on Tatamy Road has not been paid off, plus the new projects.
$9,846,953 or 15.97% of all expenses in the recently approved budget are for Debt Service.
Expect building fees to go up even higher once the new facilities are complete as I'm guessing the estimate on what the admin expected annual costs to be will go up.
thanks for the info. Just wondering how long I will be able to continue to live in the district.
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