Editorial: ‘Free’ space is costly

Friday, Aug. 29, 2003 | 9:22 a.m.

In recent years the Clark County School District has been forced to cut millions from its budget to meet rising labor and utility costs. Special education has been constantly criticized for being underfunded. Most classrooms have been overcrowded. Teachers have had to dip into their own personal funds to provide many of their classroom materials. Textbooks for many courses have been in short supply. And for many years now the district has been ranked 45th nationally in per-pupil spending. When it comes to money, there isn't nearly enough for our 270,000 students.

All of which makes this a fair question: Should groups not affiliated with the district pay for their use of school facilities? The district pays more than $1.3 million a year for utilities, maintenance and other costs related to providing space free of charge to youth and adult groups. District staff analysts are working on a proposal that would set a fee schedule for various organizations, a proposal that has raised alarm within some groups.

As long as the school district is struggling for money, it has an obligation to charge for space. The fees could be flexible, depending on the organization. Scouting groups, which are heavy users of district space, contribute to student achievement -- Scouting teaches discipline and the importance of learning, which is of inestimable value to the district. Scouting groups quite rightly could be charged a low fee. A higher fee could be justified for adult organizations that may serve the community in other ways but have no direct relationship to education.

Ultimately, the answer is a greater sharing of resources. The county and cities have space, as do churches and libraries. Private companies could step up and offer space on an after-hours basis. The school district should not have to go it alone in providing space to worthy community groups.