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School committee to revisit athletic and facility use fees after concerns about impact on youth leagues
Summary
The committee discussed shifting from a flat daily fee to a minimum three‑hour charge plus hourly add‑ons for facility rentals and agreed to refer the proposed rate changes to the policy subcommittee to explore season rates and group reclassification, after concerns that youth leagues could face substantial cost increases.
The Blackstone‑Millville School Committee on July 8 debated a proposed restructuring of athletic and facilities use fees that would move many rentals from a flat daily charge to a three‑hour minimum plus hourly rates.
Joe Spagley, director of finance and operations, walked the committee through a comparison of local districts and a proposed schedule that raises some hourly rates and shifts how multi‑hour uses are billed. "If you look at that, you could see the the most blaring item on here is that we charge a flat daily fee… Several of the other districts charge a set amount for the first three hours of the day and then any time above that they charge an additional hourly rate," Spagley said.
Committee members warned the change could disproportionately affect recurring community programs that use school gyms and auditoria for seasons of practices and games. One member noted that a youth basketball league that uses facilities multiple days a week could see a significant increase under an hourly model; another suggested building in a season or long‑term use rate or creating a separate group classification for town‑affiliated or student‑extracurricular organizations.
What the committee decided: Rather than adopt the rates at the July meeting, the committee voted to refer the proposal to the policy subcommittee to develop options (including a potential season pass or revised group categories) and to continue the discussion at the Aug. 19 meeting so summer programs are not disrupted by immediate changes.
What’s next: The policy subcommittee will review possible alternate rate structures (season fees, different group definitions and custodial/energy surcharges) and return recommendations to the full committee. The committee discussed setting a September 1 effective date if rates change to give notice, or postponing to FY26 to avoid affecting current sign‑ups.
No formal fee changes were adopted at this meeting.
