Programs pay fee to use TSC facilities

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Recreational organizations and other non-profit education groups and activities for kindergarten through 12th grade students will have to pay fees to use Tippecanoe School Corporation (TSC) facilities.

The TSC Board of Trustees approved the new fees during its school board meeting Wednesday evening.

School practices, games, performances, booster clubs, Parent Teacher Organizations, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts and 4-H will not have to pay a fee.

"Before, we were charging very few people to use our gymnasium and cafeterias," TSC Chief Financial Officer Kim Fox explained. "We have revamped the policy now and we have restructured some of the classifications. Unless you are directly involved with an ECA assignment or you are a Boy Scout, Girls Scout or in 4H or a PTA type of organization there will be a slight fee to use the building."

Feeder programs like swim and tennis clubs, AAU programs, summer baseball, Little Gridiron, camps and summer recreation programs will all have to pay a fee. It will cost $20 an hour for them to use an elementary school gym, $30 an hour for a middle school gym and $40 an hour for a high gym.

For these programs to use a high school pool, it will cost a little over $40 an hour. To use an outside athletic venue without lighting at any TSC school, it will cost just over $33 an hour and to use one with lighting it will be over $80 an hour. For private for-profit agencies the fees would be higher. Those agencies will also have to pay additional personnel costs like custodians to clean up after the agencies use the facility. Fox said she doesn't expect any organizations to stop using the TSC facilities because of the additional costs.

Fox said the district decided to adjust the facility fees so the buildings stay safe and secure. She said this way TSC will know who is using what buildings when. She said the money won't cover the district's utility costs for the programs but will help recoup a small percentage of costs.

"On an estimated basis it costs well over $100,000 a year for TSC to have our buildings utilized like they are. This fee that we are charging will not bring in (enough) to off set that obviously. You heard the board. Their feeling is this is a community building that should be utilized," said Fox.

There will also be a fee for camp participants. Fox said each student enrolled in a camp will pay $3 to help with utility costs. The fees are expected to go into effect April 1.