Board tables fee waiver request

SOUTH COVENTRY >> The Owen J. Roberts School Board has tabled a request from a youth athletic group seeking to use district fields at a reduced rate, following concerns that multiple groups might also request similar discounts.

At a recent school board meeting, the board voted 6-2 to table a motion to grant a policy waiver to Marsh Creek Eagles Football & Cheer, in Lionville. The group, which is located outside the school district, had requested to use district facilities at the in-district rate.

The rental fee structure outlined in the district’s regulation 707A, lists the in-district cost of facilities as Class A, with a fee of $175 per season or $10 per use for district fields and $200 per season for the stadium. On the other hand, Class D, for organizations outside the district, lists much higher fees, ranging from $1,000 per use for grass fields to $2,500 per use for the stadium.

Marsh Creek Eagles Football & Cheer had sought to use district fields at the Class A rate rather than the Class D rate. According to a letter sent by the organization and referenced by board member Leslie Proffitt, over 300 students participate in Marsh Creek Eagles

Football & Cheer.

The organization is seeking to use district fields for two squads that have a total of 41 girls, 20 of whom are OJR students, Proffitt said.

Several school board members objected to granting a waiver for one organization.

“I feel uncomfortable that we would grant a waiver to only one of the Class D (organizations),” said board member Melissa Booth.

She suggested that the board’s legislative and policy committee consider ways to “give opportunities to reclassify particular groups,” rather than granting a waiver. She further noted that issuing a waiver could set a precedent that would have a costly financial

impact on the district, if additional groups seek to use fields at the lower cost.

District Chief Financial Officer Jaclin Krumrine said there is currently only one group, West Mont Soccer, that uses fields at the Class D rate.

“We’ve had others request, but once they see the fee structure, they move on,” Krumrine said.

Like Booth, board President Lisa Huzzard worried that, if a waiver is granted for one group, more requests would follow.

“We only have so much access to our facilities. If we make a change to this and the floodgates open, we don’t have the capacity to meet all the needs,” Huzzard said.

Board member Doug Hughes asked what the administration recommendation was regarding the waiver. Superintendent Susan

Lloyd said administrators were concerned about having an increased demand for field use at the lower cost.

“Our concern is that we’re going to open the floodgates, because we’ve turned away so many groups because we’ve been abiding by the policy to the letter,” Lloyd said.

Hughes then moved to table the motion so that it could be reviewed by the

legislative and policy committee. The board voted 6-2 to table the recommendation, with board members Heather McCreary and Proffitt dissenting.

Proffitt had expressed concerns earlier in the meeting that the waiver request was not for a policy, but for a regulation, which does not usually involve the school board. However, the organization had asked to have the waiver request put