Emporia board tables facility-rental policy after debate on youth access and scheduling

The Emporia Board of Education on Jan. 14 postponed action on a revised facility rental-use policy after an extended discussion about access for youth groups, fee categories, scheduling procedures and implementation.

Josh Schwartz and staff presented revisions that removed rental fees for youth organizations categorized as Category C (district students) except for extraordinary custodial costs. "So for our youth groups, it's pretty much down to kind of the way it is now..." a district official summarized. Staff also described a three-stage enforcement approach for groups that misuse facilities.

Public comment and board questions focused on equitable scheduling and clarity. Board members asked whether the district would collect requests in a single window and allocate slots (rather than strictly first-come), and whether building secretaries had adequate bandwidth to process small fees and deposits. One board member said propped doors and other safety lapses were a recurring concern and supported consequences for groups that do not follow facility rules.

Administrators confirmed district students and USD 253 teams would have priority and that district youth groups meeting the Category C definition would not be charged a rental fee. However, multiple board members asked for clearer definitions of categories (C versus E), a consistent scheduling process so smaller organizations are not disadvantaged, and a practical billing or online-request system.

After discussion, board member Casey (first name only in the transcript) moved to table the item to a future meeting so staff could collect more stakeholder feedback and work on implementation details; the motion passed 7-0.

The board instructed staff to refine category language, propose transparent scheduling windows or allocation procedures, and report back with implementation recommendations and any software or payment mechanisms to streamline requests.