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Pratt commission approves $600 monthly for Pratt Teen Center amid board reorganization
Summary
After a presentation from the teen center’s new board, the Pratt City Commission approved a temporary $600-per-month allocation to support operations while the center finalizes its business plan and budget paperwork.
Ashley Arp, president of the Pratt Teen Center board, told the Pratt City Commission the board has tightened registration, instituted incident tracking and added staff to improve supervision and programming for after-school youth. "We are focused on making it a safe and reliable place for the teens of our community," Arp said, listing new programs including a twice-monthly book club and a revived Free-Food-Friday that now serves roughly 20–30 students.
Diane Newhouse, who the board listed as treasurer, said the city's monthly payment has historically been a significant portion of the center’s revenue. "The donation that the city makes to us each month is about 22% of all of our revenue from them last year," Newhouse said, and described current attendance at about two dozen students per day with higher numbers on Fridays. Commissioners discussed prior practice and agreed to a temporary cap of $600 per month — $100 below the previous level — while the teen center submits its updated budget and formal paperwork. Mayor (speaker 2) made the motion; commissioners moved and seconded and voted to approve the funding.
The commission's action is a short-term allocation: staff and the board were urged to return with formal budget documentation and a clear plan for any request to restore funding to the prior $700 monthly level. The center emphasized staffing and payroll constraints as the primary barrier to extending hours for students who participate in after-school sports.
