Opposition mounts to charges for school use

Public protest resulted in the Millstone Board of Education postponing a decision to start charging outside organizations for using school district facilities.

Board meetings are usually sparsely attended, but residents filled every seat at the standing-room-only June 8 meeting when the facility-use fee proposal appeared on the agenda. The board has proposed charging each of the approximately 25 organizations that use the schools $10 per hour for weekday use and $36 per hour for events on Sundays and after 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The additional weekend fees would cover custodial costs.

The board announced earlier this year that the school district would start charging such fees if voters did not approve the budget on the April ballot. The budget failed at the polls, and in response to the defeat the school district has eliminated $1.1 million in programs and services proposed in its $32.8 million spending plan for the 2009- 10 school year.

The board has projected that the facility use fees would generate $45,000 in revenue.

According to information provided by Business Administrator Bernard Biesaida, if the board adopts the facility usage fees, the Girl Scouts would pay $4,020 for 420 hours of facility use and the Boy Scouts would pay $1,370 for 137 hours of use. These figures do not include the additional weekend costs. The estimates are based on last year's hourly usage.

Linda Banyacski, the new Millstone Girl Scout service unit manager, asked the board to consider that Scouts give back to the schools where they hold their meetings. She noted that an Eagle Scout built tables and file cabinets for the band room that would have cost the school district $1,400. Another Eagle Scout built an outdoor classroom for the primary school that has an estimated value of $3,000-$4,000, she said. The Girl Scouts have donated hundreds of books to the schools, spruced up the school library and developed a recycling program for the elementary school. Banyacski asked the board to work with the Scouts, who are always looking for community service projects.

Based on their school use last year, Millstone recreation programs would have to pay $7,000 for 700 hours. The Millstone Cheetahs softball team would pay $1,130 for 113 hours. Millstone recreation wrestling would pay $1,192.50 for 119.25 hours. Millstone Warriors Basketball would pay $6,100 for 610 hours. Millstone recreation basketball would pay $5,060 for 506 hours.

Jim Bell, a member of the township's Recreation Commission, said the township's basketball program would cease if the school district started charging facility use fees. He said the program could not budget for the additional fees.

Deputy Mayor Robert Kinsey said that the proposed facility use fees would double the township basketball program's fee from $75 to $150 per participant.

Kinsey also reminded the board that the township paid $4.5 million for the middle school property and pays $325,000 annually in debt service for that purchase, among other monies spent for the district. He also pointed out that some of the groups that would have to pay to use the schools exist solely for the purpose of raising funds for the school district, such as the PTO and the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence.

If they used the schools as much as they did last year, service organizations such as the Millstone PTO would pay $932.50 for 932.5 hours. The Millstone Women's Club would pay $180 for 18 hours. The PTSA would pay $872.50 for 87.25 hours and the Millstone Township Foundation for Education Excellence would pay $65 for 6.5 hours.

The Millstone/Roosevelt Little League would pay $7,915 for 791.5 hours; Millstone United Travel Soccer would pay $1,960 for 196 hours; Millstone Township Pop Warner would pay $440 for 44 hours; and overall Community Education would pay $8,170 for 817 hours.

Based on last year's data, some organizations would pay very little. For example, Millstone Men's Basketball used the facilities for three hours last year and would pay $30 for that amount of time. Kids Workshop would pay $20 for two hours. The Cub Scouts would pay $37.50 for 3.75 hours and Move Your Feet and MathKinz would each pay $20 for 2 hours of facility use.

Teacher and resident Irene Pearson said that several years ago when the facility use fee issue came up, parents said they would support the budgets in future elections to avoid having to pay the additional fees.

"You didn't charge, and the budget went down the next year, and the next and the next," she said.

Pearson said now the district cannot afford to educate its children.

Rose Kleinberg encouraged residents to vote for the school budget in future elections.

"You can't expect everything to be rosy if you don't bother to vote," she said. "No one wants to spend more money, but it has to come from somewhere."

She noted that the school district is in the "I" District Factor Group, which means the state considers it a high-income school district that does not need much state funding.

John Byrne voiced concerns about Foley's repeated negative comments about the lack of support for the schools in the community. He said the new middle school is an example of the community's support for the school district.

"I'm concerned your negative comments are being viewed as if we are in complete disarray," he said.

Foley said his comments did not refer to the minority who voted for the budget, but to the majority who voted against the spending plan. Voters defeated this year's proposed budget at the polls in a vote of 691-413.

After the public session, board member Patrick Whalen asked the board to take a closer look at the issue, and the board decided to postpone its vote until the June 22 meeting.

Foley said, "The board made public comments at the time of the budget laying out the consequences of the budget being voted down."

He said the balance is teachers versus recreation.

"Why are just education programs being cut?" he asked.

Board member Kevin McGovern said the public turnout at the meeting has made him more hopeful.

"For someone who cares about education, I don't think we're beaten yet," he said. "If it's translated to action in the community, we're not beaten yet."