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Residents speak against gym rental fees
By Justin Wier
AUSTINTOWN
About 20 residents showed up at Wednesday’s board of education meeting to voice concerns about the district charging a fee for outside organizations to use the schools’ gymnasiums.
Their complaints led the board to table the resolution until July’s meeting.
The proposed changes would have charged teams not affiliated with the school $25 per day to use a gym for practices.
Michele Gatts, echoing other parents, said another fee could overextend parents who already have to pay sign-up fees and purchase equipment for their children who participate in sports.
“We’re the same parents that volunteer for everything,” she said. “We only have so much to give.”
Frank Fuller, who has coached fifth- and sixth-grade basketball teams that would be affected, added that many children on the teams come from economically disadvantaged families.
Superintendent Vince Colaluca said the district faces budget challenges with declining enrollment and declining support from the state and federal governments.
The athletic programs are also in the red, he added, and they’re looking at ways to solve that.
Board President Alex Ben-yo said the teams that want to use the gym are community groups, not school groups, and making one exception could lead the board down a slippery slope.
“We have to make tough decisions and draw lines,” he said.
After learning the district would make about $1,700 from the policy, board member Harold Porter seemed perplexed.
“Out of a $15 million budget, you’re worried about $1,700?” he asked.
The board will revisit the matter next month.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the district approved spending $849,390 to purchase eight regular school buses and two special-education buses. The buses are expected to arrive in late September or early October.
The money for the buses came from the sale of the old Austintown Middle School at 5800 Mahoning Ave. The district received $1.56 million from the sale.