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Pasco explores charging groups to use school facilities

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By RONNIE BLAIR | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - The Pasco County School Board is debating whether, during tight budgetary times, it can continue to let some groups use school facilities for free.

The school district charges community groups a fee to use schools for meetings or other events, but the board sometimes waives the fee for nonprofit organizations, especially those that serve young people, such as Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts.

Budget woes, though, may cause the district to change its policy. Over the course of a year, the waivers cost the district about $300,000, Assistant Superintendent Jim Davis told board members at a budget workshop this week.

"We want to be good neighbors," he said. "We want to support the community groups."

At the same time, he said, the more a facility is used, the more it is in need of repairs.

He and Superintendent Heather Fiorentino also said that direct expenses connected to use of a school facility include items such as electricity and toilet paper.

"We need to be recovering some of our costs because in some cases we are absorbing substantial costs," board Chairman Frank Parker said.

Some board members, though, indicated they want to tread carefully before charging groups that previously used school facilities for free.

"If we go to a fee, it needs to be a minimal fee," board member Kathryn Starkey said.
Vice Chairman Allen Altman also expressed reluctance to charge groups such as the Girl Scouts.

"They are providing a service to our students, which I think also helps them academically by keeping them engaged and involved," Altman said.

The school board's meeting agendas almost always include a list of requests for use of facilities.

In May, for example, the board granted fee waivers for such events as Girl Scout meetings at Deer Park Elementary, Cub Scout meetings at Seven Springs Elementary, a Little League baseball tournament at Mitchell High and American Legion Post 79 meetings at Gulf High.

At the same time, some groups were charged. Suncoast Dance Theatre was assessed $3,862 for use of the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, for example, and the San Antonio Elementary School PTA paid $120 to hold a talent show at Pasco Middle School.

The board asked Davis to research how the county government and nearby school districts handle community requests for use of their facilities.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 259-7065.

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