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The Haverhill School Committee took a second looks at its rental fee schedule last week, voting unanimously to give local nonprofits that enter long-term rental agreements some relief.
In his presentation at Thursday’s meeting, Chief Financial Officer Clancy Main asked for permission to negotiate separate agreements with any Haverhill nonprofit organization that serves 85% of the community and agrees to at least an eight-week rental agreement. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Haverhill already has a separate long-term contract to run after school programs in several schools which brings the district $100,000 annually, Main said. The Boys & Girls Club would not be affected by the fee increases, Main added.
“All really I am looking to try to do here is just with the Haverhill nonprofit lines just cover our cost and then, obviously, on the for-profits, cover our costs and then build up this fund a little bit more,” Main explained.
At the behest of Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta, the School Committee voted in May to substantially increase user fees to rent such spaces as gymnasiums, auditoriums and classrooms. Marotta sought the increase as part of her effort to balance her $137 million budget which went into effect on July 1. The budget depends on collecting $100,000 in rental fees this year. Last year, the school department collected just $28,000, but paid out $77,000 in payroll to cover custodian and maintenance fees, according to the school Chief Financial Officer Clancy Main.
Prior to the fee change, costs for both nonprofit and profit-making businesses to rent a gymnasium was $50 an hour. The new schedule Main proposed is $175 an hour plus 12% of any clinic or tuition fees. Nonprofits that do not enter a long-term lease would pay $75 an hour. Likewise, the fee for a for-profit business to rent an auditorium was set at $330 an hour with non-profits set at $210 an hour.
Main said even with the fee adjustments, he still anticipates bringing in at least $100,000 in revenues in addition to the $100,000 from the Boys & Girls Club contract. He told WHAV after the meeting it is difficult to project payroll costs for next year because it depends on how much rental use school facilities get, but he is estimating it will be roughly the same.