MONTGOMERY – Jason Forgue of Chester, president of the Gateway Youth Athletic Association (GYAA) came before the Gateway School Committee on Wednesday to ask for consideration on the amount the organization is charged for using the school fields for athletic events.
The GYAA runs recreational and Pioneer Valley soccer and basketball leagues, and hosts playoffs and tournaments at Gateway, including the Memorial Day tournament, which according to their website is the only soccer tournament in Massachusetts held Memorial Day weekend outside of Eastern Mass.
“We pay what I consider to be an excessive amount of fees for school use,” Forgue said. He also asked what the school district plans to do with the balance of $65,000 to $75,000 that is currently in the fund the fees go into.
“We’ve used it for field maintenance, field equipment and work on the grounds. We’re looking to renovate the fields over the next couple of years,” Gateway business manager Stephanie Fisk said, adding they have already done one field, and wouldn’t have started renovating if they didn’t have the money, because it can’t come from the district budget.
Fisk also said the funds cover custodial staff or other staff that are needed for the games, during which the school remains open for restrooms, as well as for supplies and repairs. “It’s the cost for using that area,” she said.
“What can the School Committee actually do with this request?” asked chair Michele Crane of Blandford.
Gateway superintendent David B. Hopson said that the School Committee can’t do anything specific for one group, they can only look at lowering fee schedules across the board.
Hopson also noted that the GYAA cleared over $7,000 during the two-day Memorial Day soccer tournament, and asked what the organization did with the money they raised.
“It goes back to the kids. It would have been significantly more if we hadn’t paid (the school) $1900,” Forgue said. He said the money is used to keep registration fees down, and to send teams to other tournaments. Forgue also said the money raised from the tournament has been dwindling, which may lead them to have to raise their fees.
Forgue said they thought about not using the school for restrooms, and bringing in portable restrooms, but the savings would not be worthwhile. The portion of the cost for using the school is $580, with $1,320 going for the fields, he said.
Crane said the fees haven’t been increased since 2010. Forgue responded that part of their concern is that the fees may be increased in the future.
“We would bring all the fees to the School Committee at one time. We know the athletic user fees are not covering the costs,” Fisk said.
Crane asked Forgue what part of the payment is most objectionable to the organization.
“The real issue is the Memorial Day tournament. We would like a break. Ideally, I would like to pay $500 for the fields for the tournament,” Forgue said, adding that he realized they would still need to pay to use the school.
“We have made accommodations for GYAA over the years. We can take it under consideration. It’s different than asking for an across the board reduction,” Hopson said.
Forgue also questioned the School Committee on the relationship between the district and the Booster Club. He referred to a letter he had written to the committee, saying the GYAA was unhappy with the level of participation by the Booster Club at their events, which gets half their proceeds.
He asked why the GYAA couldn’t use the building for their three tournaments, and why the club gets the first right of refusal.
Fisk said the district owns the booth and everything in it, and leases it to the Booster Club.
Hopson said the Booster Club does pay for a lot of things for the students, equaling about $5,000 a year.
Members of the Booster Club said the money raised at the events pays for scholarships, banners, the scoreboard, student bags, and the sports banquet. They said if the GYAA took it over, that would take away the scholarships and the sports banquet.
Forgue acknowledged the club does a lot of good things for the high school.
“If they don’t do it, the school has the option to pick it up,” Hopson said.
Crane asked why there is a split in the profits between the two groups.
Forgue said that the tournament began as a collaboration between the GYAA and the Booster Club, but now the GYAA sets up all the fields, does all the marketing and the Booster Club runs the booth.
Chester committee member Martha Otterbeck said there has always been a divide between the two groups, but that they should work collectively for the students.
“Who’s going to run it? Getting people to volunteer would take an act of Congress,” she said.
Booster Club members said it takes five people in several shifts to operate it correctly.
Hopson said the discussion should be between the two organizations, but that the School Committee would take Forgue’s requests under consideration at their next meeting on October 26 at Stanton Hall.
