Parents and youth-league organizers ask Kershaw County School Board to cut practice fees, clarify facility-use policy
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Speakers representing the Demon Elite youth football program urged the Kershaw County School District to reduce practice-field fees and apply facility-use policies equally, saying current charges and inconsistent discounts place a heavy financial burden on nonprofit, military-connected families.
Dan McMillan, who said he founded a county youth football league after retiring from the Army, told the Kershaw County School District board that new practice rental rules threaten his nonprofit’s ability to operate. McMillan said the district ‘‘currently assesses a rate of $2.50 per hour with [a] mandatory minimum of 4 hours,’’ which he described as ‘‘unsustainable’’ for a 501(c)(3) youth program.
McMillan said his organization serves about 130 student-athletes, roughly 30% from military families, and that weekend operating costs include about $1,200 for the facility, $750 for referees and $50 per hour for sheriff security. He said the district’s new practice fees have pushed weekly costs to an estimated level he described as infeasible for families paying modest gate fees, and that churches and other groups have received sizable classroom discounts in prior years while his league has not.
Karen Robinson, a grandparent and parent, told the board Demon Elite has been denied access to county parks and school athletic spaces ‘‘that our tax dollars fund’’ while other leagues use the same facilities. Robinson asked the board to ‘‘clarify school facility-use policies and apply them equally to all youth organizations’’ and to review a pattern of inconsistent decision-making she said has affected her children and grandchildren.
Tech Sergeant Latoya Grinstead, a 22-year Air Force member and Department of Veterans Affairs employee, told the board the district receives federal impact aid tied to military-connected students — she cited $4,380,000 in federal revenue for the 2023–24 school year — and said military families should not face barriers to facility access. "If our tax dollars fund these facilities, why aren't all of our children allowed to use them?" she asked.
None of the public-comment speakers asked the board to take an immediate vote; they requested clarification of the district’s facility-use policy, consideration of fee reductions for nonprofit youth programs and exploration of partnerships with the recreation department to ensure practice space.
The board did not record a formal decision on facility fees during the meeting.