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Youth track club asks Elyria City Schools to waive stadium fees and permit outdoor practices
Summary
At the March 25 board meeting, visitor Eric Bowens asked the Elyria City School Board for permission to use the district stadium for outdoor practices and to waive facility fees for his nonprofit youth track club; the board requested a schedule and will check whether custodial coverage under a reduction plan would add costs.
Visitor Eric Bowens, identifying himself as representing the University/Youth Track Club, told the Elyria City School Board on March 25 that the club completed a strong indoor season and would like to move to outdoor practice at the district stadium.
“We are representing Yira Youth Track Club and we are going into season five — outdoor season,” Bowens said, and asked the board for permission to schedule three weekly practices at the stadium and to waive the facility fees because the club operates as a nonprofit and relies on fundraising and community support.
Bowens described recent travel and competition experience at Oberlin College, Tiffin University and Bowling Green University and said the club typically draws about 100 children at the start of outdoor season and retains roughly 70–80 once practices begin. He also noted prior grant support, saying the club had received a $9,000 Dix grant in a previous year that paid for equipment, meet fees and certification costs.
Board members thanked the visitors and pressed for logistical details. One member pointed out that the district has been carrying out a reduction plan that cut some evening maintenance hours and said any added custodial or operations cost for after-hours stadium use would need to be identified before the board could approve a fee waiver.
“I will need to check to see if we have someone that will be there in the evening hours at the stadium…because that would be an added cost to the district,” a board member said, urging Bowens to submit the club’s proposed times so operations can evaluate coverage and costs. The superintendent and treasurer echoed that the club should submit a schedule so the district can determine whether current staffing covers the hours requested.
Bowens said the club is prepared to provide a schedule and emphasized the program’s youth-development focus: scholarships, sliding-fee arrangements and volunteer coaching intended to ensure participation for children from lower-income families.
Next steps: the board asked the club to submit proposed practice dates and times and directed staff to confirm whether existing custodial coverage would cover the requested hours or whether the club would need to assume any incremental costs. No formal vote or waiver was granted at the meeting.
