Visitor urges Lakeland District to create nonprofit facility-rate in community-use policy

A visitor representing youth sports nonprofits told the Lakeland Joint School District Policy Committee on Tuesday that the district should create a nonprofit user category in its community-use policy so clubs can afford year-round gym time.

"We're trying really hard to make it affordable for kids to play," the visitor (S3) said, adding that neighboring districts such as Coeur d'Alene offer nonprofit rates that make facility rental feasible for community organizations.

Committee members acknowledged the packet contains no explicit nonprofit language. S1 told the visitor that any community member may present a proposal to the board and said the board's financial changes had come from the district CFO. S1 said she would notify the board at its next meeting, identified by the committee as Dec. 3, and present the request for a nonprofit category so the board could provide formal direction.

Committee members recommended the visitor prepare a short proposal or suggested language for the board to consider. S1 said staff will determine whether statutory references or other policy sections need to be updated before the board acts. The committee did not take a formal vote but agreed to refer the matter to the Board of Trustees for consideration at its next meeting.

The discussion came early in the committee's agenda and was framed as a request for the board to weigh the financial and operational implications of adding a nonprofit classification for facility rentals. The committee suggested the visitor also provide concrete rate suggestions or comparable-rate documentation to aid the board's review.

Next steps: staff will place the nonprofit-category request on the board agenda for the first December meeting; the committee indicated it can return the item to the policy committee for additional refinement if the board requests more detail.