Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Partnerships And Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board signals consensus to revise GEARS facility fee to 2% local / 5% outside; rewritten contract to return for vote
Summary
After a facilities committee discussion, the board indicated unanimous support for drafting a GEARS contract renewal that lowers the in‑district fee to 2 percent and retains a 5 percent charge for users outside the district; the revised contract will appear on the next agenda for formal action.
Elizabethtown Area School District committee members discussed renewal of the GEARS (after‑school/child‑care) contract during the Feb. 11 workshop and reached board consensus to rewrite the contract to charge 2 percent for in‑district participants and 5 percent for users from outside the district.
Why it matters: GEARS is a long‑standing community partner that runs before/after school and summer programs on district property. The fee structure determines how much revenue the district receives for facility usage and offsets the wear and utility costs schools incur when external providers use district space.
Discussion highlights - Board members and administrators reviewed recent revenue figures and said collections appear modest. Presenters reported actual CSU system receipts for fiscal year 2023‑24 under the GEARS name of $4,308.04 and year‑to‑date (through Jan. 31 for 2024‑25) of approximately $7,500. One board member had earlier recalled a self‑reported $15,000 figure from GEARS but administration reported the CSU receipts are lower. - Supporters of reducing the in‑district percentage argued that charging a 3 percent pass‑through is effectively a cost to families who already pay district taxes and that GEARS is doing community child‑care work. Others argued the district should receive compensation for facility use and custodial/utilities services. Several board members suggested lowering the in‑district fee while keeping a higher fee for outside users.
Board direction and next steps Board President and committee members indicated unanimous head nods in favor of revising the GEARS contract to a 2 percent in‑district fee and a 5 percent fee for users outside the district. Administration said it would rewrite the contract language and place the revised agreement on the next meeting agenda for a formal vote.
Closing note: administrators and board members said the revision seeks a compromise between compensating the district for facility use and maintaining affordable community child‑care partnerships.
