School District's New Rental Fees Under Fire

The school district's new facilities rental fees could kill the boys basketball programs of Valley Athletic Association and St. Ephram and St. Charles schools, which would have to pay tens of thousands of dollars each.

That was the claim this week from the athletic directors of the two K-8 Catholic schools and the coordinator of the AA's boys hoops program.

“We get nothing from your school tax. To charge us is unconscionable. … You will shut down our basketball program,” St. Ephram AD Dan Shurdich said Wednesday to the school board and district business director Jack Myers, who put together the recently approved policy.

St. Ephram, unlike St. Charles, has a gym. But Shurdich said Friday there's no way it can support the hours needed.

Shurdich said the district policy would cost the school $40,880 if it were to continue the same use of district gyms. And, he said, the school would have to raise its fees for the approximate 250 young athletes from $75 to $300 each.

Such fees cover most of the the cost of referees and uniforms, and the school makes no money on its program, Shurdich said.

“It's like Jack Myers inviting me to dinner at his house and then before I get there he asks me to pay and bring dessert,” he said. “From nothing to $40,000 is staggering.”

Joe DePascale, the AD at St. Charles, told Patch the new district fees would cost his school about $100,000.

“We're worse off than St. Ephram. They have a gym. We don't have that luxury. We are 100-percent dependent upon the school district facilities,” he said. “The program absolutely would be done if this stands.”

DePascale said he is annoyed the district gave no notice of such a big change.

“Until we submitted our forms and got this package from the school district nobody said, 'Hey we're changing the rules of the game,'” he said.

“I'm hoping they'd defer this until next year at the very least to give us time to get our ducks in a row and see if we can do it,” he added. “But I don't think my parents can afford it.”

DePascale said about 100 youngsters take part in the program.

Bob Wrazen, coordinator of the boys basketball program of Valley AA, said the district policy would cost the association more than $40,000 and push fees from $100 to $200 for each of the 350 or so youngsters involved.

“It's probably going to kill the program,” he said.

The school board approved the 13-page policy in June, At the time, Myers said many district don't allow such usage, and he added, “We're not in it to charge more than what we think is the actual cost to us.”

The policy includes rental fees, energy and air conditioning charges, and deposits for differently classified entities, including nonprofits, that use gyms, pools, fields, auditoriums, cafeterias and rooms.

Both Shurdich and DePascale referred to an hourly rate of $105 but that figure is not immediately evident in the document.

At the suggestion of school board member Chester Marshall, Myers said Wednesday that he would be glad to meet with Shurdich to go over the exact financial implications. And outgoing Superintendent Bill Gretzula indicated the district might have some leeway.

Shurdich said Friday that he also had reached out to the mayor's office and was told Mayor Joe DiGirolamo would discuss the issue with school district officials. Neither the mayor nor Myers could be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Wrazen said he, too, has reached out for township help.

“We're hoping the mayor can do something to convince the school board to work with us somehow,” he said. “We'd be willing to do something, maybe an extra $20 per kid. But if they're looking for money because they built that new gym (at the high school) then I think they're going to kill our program and get no money.”