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Jonas Salk was an American Researcher known for his discovery of a vaccine for polio in the 50's. Fortunately, he never joined a School Committee and had to deal escalating costs and stagnant revenue -- otherwise he might have been known to history only as "That Son of a Bitch who tried to charge us to Play Soccer"!
The Sandwich Public School budget includes tax dollars to maintain gyms and athletic fields for their own use as well as the use of various non-school community recreation programs. These are dollars that could otherwise be used for any school-related operating cost (ie. teachers, books, computers, etc.).
I am not under any illusion that the School Department does a great job job manicuring the turf. There are no putting greens on school property. BUT ... they do use tax dollars to maintain the facilities to a level generally acceptable for school use (excluding the running track!).
If a non-school group wants to use the facilities, they should pay the related costs of that usage -- just as they would have to pay to use the facilities in neighboring towns. The School Committee made an effort to recover these costs and were met by venemous opposition from the small minority of people that benefit fom the school subsidy of their activities --- and, unfortunately, no reaction from the other parents and taxpayers who were effectively paying that subsidy.
Granted, some groups spend a considerable amount of time and money maintaining the facilities they use -- others do nothing. Buuut, its important to note that leagues choose what they will donate and they are generally the biggest (or only) beneficiary of their "donation".
It's also important to note that some leagues utilize school-maintained facilities for major fundraising tournaments that utilize multiple fields over multiple days for teams from all over New England.
I could go into excruciating detail about operating costs -- but I won't.
I could also go into excruciating detail about the boorish behavior of many of the folks who were involved in this discussion last year-- but I won't. Some of the people I watched last year were pathetic examples of "sportsmanship' -- others were very reasonable, professional and everything you would EXPECT a youth league leader to be.
I will only say this, as the budgets get tighter, it will be essential that non-academic activities become self-supporting. We can not afford to utilize education dollars to subsidize anybody's ballgame -- no matter how much huffing and puffing goes on!!
Most of the sports organizations in Town are organized as non-profit organizations. The following groups have annual financial reports and tax returns currently available online through the Attorney General's office:
(I'm not sure where the others are ... YET. )
There are a few things that were started last year that I would like to see completed:
1) Execute license agreements between each league and the school department outlining the terms of their usage as well as a clear deliniation of each parties' reponsibilities for covering regular and capital maintenance costs. (as the Town did with Pop Warner).
2) A clear cost analysis delineating what it costs to maintain the facilities (including appropriate administrative labor) AND how much extra it costs to make facilities available to outside groups.
3) Get field lighting and concession stand utilities onto separate meters (if not already done so) and begin invoicing all involved for power usage.
More to follow ...
10 comments:
If all outside of school activities were banned from using the fields would the maintenence costs go down?
Yes. The Schools do not need all of the current field space for school-only activity. They also rarely need the lights --- and don't need anything in summer.
it may be drastic, but he's right -- something has to give.
they also wouldnt need to heat/light/clean the k-8 gyms and related areas (halls & restrooms) on nights and weekends.
Finding a fair way for schools/town fields and facilities to be used by sports groups that will not create financial hardship for the schools/town is essential.
I understand that the rec. groups don't want to give in for fear of negatives in their bottom financial line, but everyone has to face the facts that equity and parity need to be achieved for the sake of financial planning.
The huge tournaments that put money in the rec. groups bank account with no meaningful compensation to the schools/town is just plan wrong. No one should be profiting on the backs of town properties and operations without consideration of cost to the town.
I think it is a past practice that needs to be addressed. It is never going to get cheaper to run the schools and the town. Anything that eats away at the bottom line for our town assets is not good management of our tax dollar.
Bob, your point about education dollars being compromised is well taken. This is an area where the municipal and the school side need to work together. The sweet deals have to go away and common sense and financial planning need to be put in place. I wish the citizens that fight this would rethink their positions for the good of their community.
Once again small town politics and agenda driven conflicts are costing us time and money not to mention creating problems, hard feelings, and sending the message to the world that Sandwich is filled with unreasonable folks.
Something like this may take someone from the outside guiding the discussion. It does become personal. Last year watching from the outside, the whole discussion was a shinning example of why push/pull tactics are less and less effective at getting a positive result.
The goal needs to be about common sense and maintaining what we have, not about individual groups maintaining what they have. There are no villans here, but it seems to me that everyone involved needs to think differently. We have to do things differently it seems to me.
Who owns the land these fields are on?
A non ee mouse
The taxpayers -- same as the beaches and dump that they need to pay to use. No private group or individuals should benefit from their use of public property.
Then how is it the school dept has decided they will task themselves with collecting fees (attempting) for field usage? Correct me if I am mistaken but every conversation about field use fees I have been involved with it is assumed the schools would be the fee collectors. I'm pretty sure I can't charge for something that does not soley belong to me.
That's easy.
The cost of maintaining the fields and gyms comes out of the school budget. As has been stated many times -- these are dollars that could otherwise be used for educational purposes.
Doesn't it make sense to recover these costs from the people who are actually using the facilities? Or ... maybe the school should just lock the gyms and stop mowing the fields -- except when they need them for school events?
Or ... let the town take over the fields.
The Schools aren't trying to make a profit -- they just can not afford to maintain the facilities for the benefit of private organizations.
If I recall correctly, research was done and presented that revealed that in every other town on the Cape, use of the fields were managed by the town's Rec Dept. "Managed" means maintained, scheduled and billed-for (or not billed-for - that would be the Rec Dept's P.R.decision/business decision)
It seems that might be the answer for Sandwich. The Rec Department has two full-time administrators, an Advisory Board and a vested interest. One of the School's Field's Maintenance guys could be transferred to their supervision. Maybe they could pull in the Sandwich Hollows landscapers to help and provide expertise.
The fact is the fields are "at" the schools, but except for the HS, their use BY the schools is pretty limited. Recess areas are not "The Fields"
How do we make this happen? (Or at least get this on the table for consideration?) Via the Board of Selectmen?
I also wonder if the Community Schools can be taken out of the School Department and set up as a separate entity, like the Rec Dept or the Golf Course. (Actually, as I type this, I wonder if the Rec Dept and the Community Schools should become one.) As I understand it, the Golf Course's finances are structured around an "Enterprise Fund" which is supposed to cover its expenses. (except when it doesn't) The point is that it is clear when the town it covering the course's expenses, and when it isn't because we have to vote on the particular's at Town Meeting.
I think perhaps the town (voters) should be asked if it wants to support a pool, the same as it was asked if it wanted to buy a golf course. I would guess that the voters would say yes to the pool. And with that would come the financial responsibility for the pool. The School Department would pay for their swim team's limited use of the pool the same way they pay for use of ice hockey rinks, etc.
The Community Schools has lots of loyalty and support in town. Maybe the supporters would put all that support and energy into re-establishing the Community Schools as a Town Service.
Just some musings, of the problem-solving sort, on a sunny morning in Sandwich....perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I am about this will pick up these ideas and kick them around.
One important point missing from the well-articulated ideas above, is the fact that in other Cape towns where the Rec. Dept. handles the fields, they actually HAVE town fields in the first place. Remember, Sandwich has no recreational fields other than school property. This is what's gotten us into the overuse crunch in the first place, and makes it difficult to assign maintenance responsibility. Take a drive through Old Townhouse and Sandy Pond in Yarmouth, for example. They are beautiful examples of multi-use facilities run by the town. Whether the upkeep is the responsibility of the town, schools or activity participants through fees, we still have a critical shortage of recreational space in Sandwich.
NOTHING makes me crazier about the field problem in Sandwich, than the high school football team using the Pop Warner field. That facility on leased land (or is it just borrowed?) and built by the hard work of volunteers is far superior to the horrid high school field. Those parents have allieviated the school department's responsibility to maintain a decent field. With the football program covered, the pressure to upgrade the HS field is lessened, and the remaining teams are left with an embarrassing home field.
I admit I don't have the answers. But I'd like to point out that, forget rec. and club usage, we aren't even providing adequate sports facilities for our high school teams.
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