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Community groups billed for gym use; board debates custodial charges and security during outside use
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Summary
A West End Little League representative said a booking that listed $0 later generated a $300 custodial charge; the district explained charges arise from second‑shift custodian requirements and the board discussed monitoring, fee transparency and door‑propping safety measures for outside organization use.
Community organizers and board members raised billing and safety questions after an outside youth organization reported an unexpected charge for gym use and after board members flagged repeated incidents of propped doors and unmonitored entry during outside events.
Danielle Lukaszewski, who identified herself as West End Little League secretary, said the group booked PVE gym space after athletics redirected some activities because of high‑school construction; she said the online booking showed an estimated cost of $0 but the organization later received a bill for roughly $300. "We were using the PVE gym... we received a bill for the use of PVE. It came as a shock to us," she said.
District staff explained the charge was the result of custodial coverage rules: PVE lacks a second‑shift custodian, so events extending beyond first‑shift hours require overtime/custodial coverage and generate a facility charge. Board members discussed options to avoid surprise costs in future bookings — including clearer upfront cost notifications, reassigning custodial coverage and exploring union or scheduling solutions to share custodial resources between nearby buildings.
Board and operations staff also took up safety concerns when outside groups use district buildings: several speakers described doors being propped open and suggested options such as a staffed single‑point entry, requiring organizations to provide a monitor, low‑voltage door alarms, or listing monitored entry as a contract condition. The superintendent asked staff to review facility‑use language and to prepare an agenda item to address fees and monitoring requirements going forward.
What’s next: the board agreed to place an agenda item to clarify facility booking fees, ensure the booking system shows expected custodial charges, and explore staffing or contractual fixes so outside groups are not surprised by after‑hours costs.
