Tuesday, April 22, 2014
BENTONVILLE -- School Board members were divided Monday on whether to allow individuals to rent certain School District facilities at a special rate for one hour at a time.
After a lengthy discussion, the board voted 5-2 against the idea, which had been introduced along with a proposal to raise rental rates of all facilities by about 10 percent for nonprofit organizations and 12 percent for commercial groups.
At A Glance
Vehicle Purchases
The School Board on Monday approved the administration’s decision to buy five 77-passenger school buses and one 54-passenger special-education bus from Diamond International for a total of $609,380. Diamond International’s bid was the lowest of three submitted to the School District.
The district owns 139 buses, 14 of which are more than 20 years old. The state recommends replacing buses that are 20 years old, according to Sterling Ming, district finance director. The district typically buys at least five new buses per year, Ming said. The money for these vehicles will come from the district’s capital outlay fund for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Source: Staff Report
Board president Wendi Cheatham and vice president Grant Lightle were the only members who supported the changes. Board members Matt Burgess, Lisa Clark, Willie Cowgur, Brent Leas and Rebecca Powers voted against them.
The special hourly rate, an idea introduced by administrators at the board's request, would have allowed individuals to rent elementary and middle school gymnasiums on weekday evenings for $40 for one hour no more than two nights per week.
Current district rules require all groups to rent a facility for at least three hours at one time. Renting the main gym at Bentonville High, for example, costs nonprofit groups $300 and commercial groups $525 at the three-hour minimum.
Paul Wallace, district facilities director, told the board he didn't agree with the proposed change, saying it would further complicate the district's efforts to properly supervise the people using those facilities after hours.
"It does concern me. What kind of risk and what kind of cost is that going to provide for the district," Wallace said. "That rental rate might not cover the supervisory cost."
Leas asked about how the district covers itself from a liability perspective.
Sterling Ming, finance director, paused before answering.
"It is a ticklish situation when outside groups rent," Ming said. "They usually have insurance."
Cowgur said he couldn't support the change because there were too many unanswered questions.
Powers said she supports making the district's buildings accessible to the community, but added she shared concerns about liability and supervision. She suggested the administration try harder to find a way to make facilities available in a way that's not cost prohibitive.
Powers said she also opposed the rental rate increases tied to the same proposal.
Cheatham said she was interested in finding more ways to make the community appreciate what the district offers. The one-hour rate is one way of doing that, she said.
"Could we just try it and see and then, if we do see it's not working, then go back and tweak it?" Cheatham said.
Burgess expressed safety concerns. The people normally charged with opening and closing the facilities for renters are the same ones who clean the buildings at night.
"Those folks that work there at night do a good job, but I don't think they're security officers," Burgess said.
The last time the board approved rental rate changes for school buildings and sport facilities was in 2007, Ming wrote in a recent memorandum. The board did approve changes in rental rates for the Arend Arts Center last year. The most recent proposal did not include changes to Arend Arts Center rates.
Even if the proposed rental rates had been approved, they still would have been below the rate charged by surrounding districts, Ming said.
Cheatham said the district will revisit the issue at the board's meeting on May 5.
NW News on 04/22/2014