Bentonville Club Transportation On Chopping Block

— Boys & Girls Club of Benton County officials hope the School District will back down from its proposal to stop taking children to the club after school.

The district takes about 500 students per day between the schools and the club, according to Jacob Hutson, the club's chief officer. Doing so costs the district about $119,000 per year.

BY THE NUMBERS

Boys & Girls Club of Benton County

The club reports the following statistics from 2013:

• 3,769: Club members

• 602: Average daily attendance

• 66: Percentage of members who are boys

• 819: Children who were assisted in completing assigned homework

• 60: Children who were assisted with homework during the after-school program on an average day

• 32: Children who received individual tutoring through the club

• 99: Percentage of members who completed their grade on time

• 62: Percentage of caregivers who reported improvement in their child’s school performance after joining the club

• $2.13 million: Club budget for 2014

Source: Boys & Girls Club of Benton County 2013 Annual Report

A proposal either to cut transportation to the club or insist the club reimburse the district developed from discussions that started last fall about ways to reduce costs for the 2014-15 school year.

The School Board on Monday approved six cost-cutting measures to reduce the budget by about $2 million, but the transportation proposal wasn't one of them. The board probably will discuss that next month.

Ted Fox, a member and past president of the club's board, distributed a letter to the School Board on Monday urging reconsideration of the transportation proposal.

The club operates on a yearly budget of between $1.8 million and $2 million, most of which is generated through grants and corporate donations. Its primary expense is the employees who deliver after-school programs, the letter stated.

Having to pay an extra $119,000 in expenses "is beyond our means," the letter stated.

The club operates four facilities, including two in Bentonville, one in Bella Vista and one in Rogers.

The district has been taking students to the club since the club opened more than 20 years ago. There are very few organizations whose goals are more closely aligned with the district's, Fox said.

"When you read the club's mission statement, not just the national, but the local one as well, then you read the (school) board's, you could almost interchange them," he said.

The club provides a variety of activities, but the focus is helping students with their academics, "which directly impacts and supports what the School District is doing," Hutson said.

Each child pays $40 per semester to attend the after-school program. At least one-third of families involved receive scholarships to help with the fee. If the cost of transportation were passed on to families, it would add $125 to the semester cost, according to club officials.

Jackie Ennis, a Bella Vista resident who spoke to the School Board on Monday, said the club has had a profound impact on his 7-year-old daughter. He said he probably could afford to pay extra for it, but many people could not.

"I understand it is not a school function," Ennis said. "But you're building a multimillion-dollar swimming pool that my daughter will not ever use. Why am I paying for it?"

The School Board agreed last fall to contribute $1 million toward building a pool at the city's Community Center, under construction in southwest Bentonville. The district's participation in the project guarantees the high school's swim and dive teams a place to practice and compete.

Dixie Partain also urged the School Board to support the club. Partain has two grandchildren who go there.

"The Boys & Girls Club has done such wonderful things for them," Partain said. "Those of us that have children that go there really need it. And I think it makes much better students and citizens by having that."

The district intends to stop providing free transportation to the club as of the beginning of the 2014-15 school year.

Michael Poore, district superintendent, said he and Sterling Ming, district finance director, met with club officials about two weeks ago. Poore said he didn't back off the administration's recommendation.

"We looked at it in terms of the cost to the district as well as other programs out there we could be asked to do the same thing for," Poore told the board.

Poore did, however, offer the club his help with a fundraising activity that could be done in a day with about 25 people.

"I felt that was well received," Poore said.

The club will evaluate all options to see how it can maintain its services, Hutson said.

"Our hope is we continue to work with and converse with the district to demonstrate the importance of the club and the programs we provide for the same kids," Hutson said. "So we will continue to work with them to come to a resolution that's beneficial to our kids and our organization."

NW News on 03/19/2014

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