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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
An agreement between the city and the school district to use school facilities for the recreation programs in the city should be a priority.
Jennifer Rowley asked for time on the agenda of the Wednesday school board meeting to discuss the problem.
“We have been in negotiations with the city,” said Delanie Hathaway, board president. “Our desire is to share our facilities.”
Rowley asked if the city had not contributed funds to Red Cliffs Elementary school construction to the tune of $80,000 so that the gym there could be upgraded so that city sports programs for the youth could be facilitated there.
She asked if the county had also contributed money to the district for the same purpose.
The school district board of education has determined that the city should still pay a fee for use of the facilities at the school. The board’s reasoning is that there are ongoing fees which add expense to the use such as lights, heat and water.
“Sanpete doesn’t charge for use of their school’s facilities,” said Rowley.
Tracy Olsen, board member, also works as the Nebo School District Business Administrator. In that school district, he said, the cities share back and forth with the district in use of facilities. There are off-sets, however.
“They pay for the water and electricity,” he said.
The district board does recognize that schools are public facilities, said Kirk Wright, superintendent.
There are two different missions for those public facilities, he said.
The district’s school use is primarily for the purpose of providing education and the city’s use of the school facilities is primarily for the purpose of providing recreation.
Rowley said that, in some districts she was familiar with, there was a committee set up to make certain that programs were provided and facilities available for the youth of the community.
Such a committee could consist of two persons from the board, two from the city council and one person at large.
“The school board and the city council do have a good working relationship,” said Justin Seely, Nephi City Council member who was in attendance at the meeting.
Though he was there for another purpose, he did offer the city’s perspective on the use of buildings.
The two entities have been working together and the district has been open, he said. The city is close to finalizing an agreement with the district.
“For the first time ever,” he said, “the district has allowed some activities on the high school gym floor.”
Rowley said that last year, after the new school was put into operation, the elementary gym had been used. It was not being used this year.
The Old Gym City Recreation Center has its basketball court upstairs and Rowley had noted older people, presumably grandparents of players, struggling up those stairs and decided to discuss the matter with the board.
Dale Whitlock, board member, said that he had discussed the use of Red Cliff Elementary’s gym with Matt Bowles, the city recreation director.
“Matt Bowles didn’t know the elementary school had courts going both ways,” said Whitlock. “He had already made up the schedule for this year and decided that he would just stay with it. But I did offer our school facilities.”
Rowley said that she had only been talking about the use of the buildings for basketball youth programs.
She said she was aware that the city and the school district had agreements for baseball field use during the summer.
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