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Grafton School Committee approves increases to facility rental fees
Summary
The Grafton School Committee voted to raise facility rental rates for non‑Grafton groups after a staff presentation comparing regional rates and operational costs; committee members asked for follow‑up details on town‑group impacts and custodial costs.
Grafton — The Grafton School Committee voted to raise facility rental fees for groups outside the district and to align middle‑school and high‑school rates after a staff presentation at its meeting.
The committee approved a recommended schedule that increases many non‑Grafton rental rates (presenter recommended percentage increases ranging from about 25% to 50% depending on the facility) and keeps deeply discounted “Grafton group” rates at lower levels for now. Committee members asked staff to report back with a breakdown of historical revenue and the likely impact on in‑town nonprofit groups.
Staff described the recommendation as a modest increase intended to reflect recent operating costs, to remove obsolete line items, and to align middle‑school and high‑school charges now that both buildings have similar equipment and amenities. The presenter said the proposal would eliminate the rarely enforced flooring fee and remove a former event‑coordinator hourly charge that is no longer applicable.
Members discussed three main issues raised during the presentation: whether to raise the deeply discounted rates for local nonprofit “Grafton” groups, how to handle use of sports field lighting, and whether custodial overtime under the new contract would outpace the current custodial fee. Dr. Cummings and other committee members noted the town groups are largely nonprofit and participate in school activities, while other members said a modest percentage increase would keep Grafton roughly in line with neighboring towns and help cover rising costs.
After discussion, a committee member moved “to increase the fees as presented.” The motion was made and seconded and the committee voted in favor; the motion passed.
Committee members asked staff to return with a detailed breakdown of revenue by in‑town versus out‑of‑town rentals and an estimate of the fiscal impact on Grafton organizations before any further changes to the Grafton discount structure. Staff said they would provide those numbers at the committee’s next meeting.
