Board delays decision on long-term facility use after members raise fee and precedent concerns

During new business the McDowell County Board of Education paused a request for long-term facility use after several board members expressed concern that a for-profit organization would receive extended free access without reimbursing operating costs.

Board members repeatedly asked why the district would waive fees for a private, revenue-generating program and highlighted custodial, utilities and HVAC implications for using the main high-school gym in the evenings. “I don't understand why there would not be a fee for that,” one board member said during the discussion.

District staff said historically the group had been given a waiver in prior years and that the district had followed that precedent. Several board members suggested alternatives: designate a less costly facility, require the group to cover utility and custodial costs, or charge a nominal weekly fee. One board member warned that granting free use could set a precedent for other travel or private programs.

The board removed the item from the consent agenda for separate discussion and later approved the consent agenda without that item. A motion to table the facility-usage request until next month — to allow the executive team to recommend which facility to use and to quantify cost recovery — passed by voice vote. The executive team will return with recommended facility options and a proposed cost-recovery plan before the board takes a final vote.