Schools Could Repeal Usage Fees Monday

Hopatcong schools could decide next Monday to halt facility usage fees for borough nonprofits for at least the 2011-2012 school year.

Board of Education President Cliff Lundin said after hearing feedback from community groups, the board could vote at its next meeting to lift the fees, since their introduction more than a year ago. Lundin said the district received about $10,000 from the fees during the 2010-2011 school year and hoped to generate between $16,000 and $20,000 during 2011-2012.

"[But] we're going to have to find money someplace else," he said at Monday night's work session meeting at the . "We are part of a community. And we're all hurting economically and we can't be throwing extra costs at people."

Lundin said he envisioned there being only be a few reasons to charge a borough nonprofit under new guidelines: if nonprofits cause custodians to work overtime; if damage is done to school property; or if the district's supplies—think toilet paper or water—were used heavily.

"We're listening and we understand the complaints and the economic problems taxpayers and other groups are facing," Lundin said.

The district has been using a four-tier usage-fee system. The tiers are as follows:

• The first tier consists mainly of school-related activities, such as parent-teacher organizations or athletic teams, that wouldn't be charged.
• In tier No. 2, non-school related organizations like the Boy Scouts would be charged $10 per use or $200 a year per building.
• The third tier involves Hopatcong-based athletic programs. These organizations wouldn't be charged for facility usage, but for extra custodial hours and a supplies charge of $10 per use or a maximum of $500 per year per organization.
• The fourth includes outside organizations, which are charged at full-price. An extra special events tier was added to be used on a case-by-case basis for occasions like tricky trays or special dinners.

School Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano said he surveyed each of Sussex County's school districts and found only Vernon charged nonprofits. Other districts only charged nonprofits when custodians needed to work overtime, he said.

Several board members echoed Lundin's sentiment.

"There are a lot of nonprofits that are struggling right now," Richard Lavery said. "They're having problems raising money. Their fundraisers aren't going well. They're doing a service to the community. And this will create good will. Anything getting us working together with the community is a wise decision.

"A lot of these nonprofits' work benefits the children, and they're struggling to get by and the user fees are just kind of a burden for them that they can't handle in a struggling economy. It's charging parents more money, and parents don't have it. The option they're taking is having their kid not in the program.

Board member Joan Reilly said: "[Nonprofits] do a lot for us. They may clean up around the football fields as a project with their group.They do try to give back to us and the parents are paying the taxes for this town out of that. And they're part of the town. And we do belong to the parents."