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Board discusses updating facility rental fees, asks administration to return with clearer rate schedule
Summary
Trustees and staff debated the district’s facility rental fee schedule, focusing on labor, equipment and cleaning charges and how to treat student groups, nonprofits and for-profit renters. The board directed administration to draft a clarified scale and return for further discussion.
Trustees at the Prosser School District board meeting spent substantial time discussing Policy 42.68, the district’s facility rental fee schedule, and asked administration to bring back a clarified proposal.
Kim (Superintendent) opened the discussion by noting the district’s auditorium and stadium now have more modern equipment than in prior years, and that many of the student-run technical programs that once covered event operations are no longer active. That gap, trustees said, means rentals now often require paid staff to run lights, sound and room setups.
Board members pressed for clearer definitions in the fee schedule: separate labor and equipment charges, an hourly overtime rate, and explicit guidance for internal student activities, nonprofit youth groups, nonprofit organizations and private commercial users. One trustee said the current $20 charge for choral riser use appears inconsistent with the labor required to set heavier risers safely and suggested labor fees should reflect the true cost and liability exposure.
Trustees and staff also debated whether student clubs should pay cleaning fees for large events, how to price use of a grand piano (a trustee noted tuning costs exceed a $125 figure cited in discussion), and whether deposits should be required upfront for outside groups to ensure cost recovery. The business office suggested deposits at least equal to the minimum known costs for custodial overtime.
Students and ASB representatives said charging some fees to student-run clubs can teach budgeting skills and real-world accountability, while administration proposed exempting curricular class activities from rental fees and allowing clubs a lower/subsidized rate. Board members discussed creating separate rows in the fee schedule for: internal use, nonprofit youth, nonprofit adult, private commercial, and possibly an additional category for for-profit student-driven activities.
Action requested: Kim said she will develop an updated rate sheet, incorporating separate labor and equipment fees, potential overtime tiers (normal hours vs. overtime/weekend), deposit policy and clearer categories for user type. The board asked for one more discussion item on a future agenda before formal policy revision.
Why it matters: The rental-fee schedule affects district revenues and costs for community events and the school’s extracurricular programs. Trustees emphasized the principle of cost recovery for labor and equipment while maintaining reasonable access for student organizations.
Ending: Administration will prepare a revised fee schedule for the board to review at a subsequent meeting; no fee changes were adopted at this session.
