Board approves three-year field-use agreement with youth baseball after communication concerns
Summary
The Waterloo Board of Education approved a three-year agreement allowing the Waterloo Baseball Softball Association to use district fields, while requiring user responsibility for equipment, materials and fuel; trustees and local coaches pressed for better communication about scheduling and insurance.
The Waterloo Board of Education voted March 12 to approve a three-year agreement allowing the Waterloo Baseball Softball Association to use district baseball and softball fields, with conditions that outside users provide paint/lime, cover fuel costs for district equipment, and assume responsibility for damaged equipment. Board members emphasized that school activities will retain scheduling priority.
Board President (S1) framed the move as community access for taxpayers who pay for the fields: "The community pays for the baseball field, pays for the softball field...they should be allowed to use the building and the facilities." Trustees moved to approve the agreement after extended discussion about logistics and insurance.
Concerns focused on internal league communication and timing. The board heard from the high-school coach (S9), who said he first learned about the contract late the prior evening: "06:30 last night after practice. Did not know it had been...the first time I ran was about 07:30 last night." The coach said he would have preferred earlier notice so school and community coaches could coordinate schedules.
Superintendent (S5) described the board's process for the contract and where communication broke down: "We were instructed just to give a contract so they can act and ... ask for permission to use. Really, where a lot of the communication broke down was within their league." Trustees noted the agreement includes explicit responsibilities: user-provided field paint/lime and fuel costs when district equipment is used, and the association must carry insurance and follow building-use procedures.
Board members asked staff to ensure that school activities have priority and that building-use requests continue to be scheduled through district staff. The motion passed with supporting votes from the board; the agreement will be effective for the period specified in the contract and may be extended or terminated with notice as written.
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