Trustees Considering New Facility
Fee Schedule
Huntington School Board members are mulling changes to the building use fee schedule the district applies to outside groups utilizing various school facilities. Trustees discussed the issue at their public meeting on March 19 and will most likely vote on a revised schedule on April 2.
"The new fee schedule proposed to the trustees is designed to align what Huntington charges for use of its facilities with fees charged by neighboring districts," Superintendent James W. Polansky said. "This will help to generate some additional revenue at a time when it is sorely needed, but without presenting non-profit groups that support our students with a cost-prohibitive situation."
The building use fee schedule applies to both one-time use of a site for activities such as a concert to seasonal usage for groups such as athletic leagues. Fee schedules for the two types of activities are posted on the district's website.
The fees will apply to all district facilities, including auditoriums, cafeterias, synthetic turf and natural grass fields, gymnasiums, classrooms, libraries, tennis courts and locker rooms.
The exact fee for each use is determined by the type of group utilizing the facility. There are separate fees for not-for-profit 501(c)3 and for-profit groups, depending on their composition. A group consisting of at least 50 percent district residents will pay a reduced rate compared to an organization whose composition is less than half district residents.
Trustees said they are trying to balance making the buildings accessible with fiscal responsibility and fairness to property taxpayers. The Huntington School Board will retain the discretion to waive or reduce fees for those groups whose primary purpose serves to benefit Huntington students.
Log on to the district's website at www.hufsd.edu to access the draft fee schedules. Click on the link for Resources and then on the Buildings & Grounds link and finally on the Forms & Files link.