One budget department in town is unique to Waterford: “Community Use of Schools.” What is it and why is it there? Should it still be a separate budget department?

First, some history. Back in the late 1980s, the Waterford Board of Finance reduced the Board of Education budget by $1 million. Then the BOE appealed to the Representative Town Meeting, and the RTM upheld the decision. The then Superintendent of Schools immediately declared that, in order to reduce the BOE budget, the community would no longer be able to use the Waterford schools after hours for meetings and other activities.

In response to this action by the BOE, the RTM passed an ordinance in 1988-1989 that directed the BOE “...to prepare a separate budget which shall be a part of the general government budget to cover the expenses of community use of school facilities.”

The BOE was also directed “...to establish a fee schedule for community use of school facilities.”

To fulfill the requirements, the superintendent of schools and the Recreation and Parks Department executed a memorandum of understanding signed by the superintendent and the deputy director of Recreation and Parks that outlined how the cost of community use of schools would be determined. The dollar amount would then be part of the budget of the Recreation and Parks Department.

This agreement was revised in 2003 and signed by the first selectman, who also happened to be the deputy director of Recreation and Parks who signed the original agreement, and the chairperson of the BOE. This is the agreement currently in effect.

The costs incurred by community use of schools would include custodial salaries, overtime and benefits, heating, lighting, and other utilities; maintenance and repairs; instructional, maintenance and custodial supplies and equipment.

The agreement then outlined how those costs would be calculated, which initially was placed in the cost of programs line of the Recreation and Parks budget. Around 2007, the Recreation and Parks Commission complained that this method unfairly inflated its budget so the Community Use of Schools was given a separate line in its budget. This still was thought to inflate the whole Recreation and Parks budget so the RTM approved the moving of Community Use of Schools to a separate department starting with the FY2012 budget.

In actuality, this is all an accounting exercise. The Community Use of Schools line is an expense on the general government and a revenue in the BOE budget. There is no change in the cost to the taxpayer. It just means that if the BOF or the RTM should ever make a large reduction of the BOE budget, the BOE could not eliminate Community Use of Schools as a budget reduction action.

Unfair change?

Supporters of the Recreation and Parks Commission see this charge as unfair because the Recreation and Parks Department does not charge the BOE for the numerous services to the schools, including field maintenance, mowing, snow removal, et cetera.

The question whether to modify or repeal the ordinance outlining the Community Use of Schools has been in and out of RTM Standing Committees for the past 10 years with no real resolution.

At the April 2017 RTM meeting, the RTM removed the item from the RTM standing committee and established an AD Hoc Committee with representation from the BOE, BOF, RTM, the Director of Finance for the Town, the Director of Recreation and Parks, with the BOE Finance Director as an ex officio non voting member.

This committee has been meeting at least monthly since June 2017. According to the minutes of the October 2017 meeting, the committee authorized the Town Attorney “...to directly communicate with the Board of Education attorney to finalize ...the proposed Memorandum of Understanding.”

Action upcoming

The committee will consider and act on the revised MOU at its next meeting.

The committee also agreed to recommend a four-year “step down” to zero of the Community Use of Schools budgetary line item from the current (2017) level.

It was not clear from the minutes whether the Ad Hoc Committee would recommend changing or repealing the current ordinance. I expect a report from the committee will be forthcoming for the February 2018 RTM meeting.

Regardless of the actions of the Ad Hoc Committee and the RTM, there would be no impact on the bottom line of any future budgets. The BOE will have the expenses and the taxpayer will provide the revenue for Community Use of Schools whether it appears in the General Government budget or the BOE budget.

John W. “Bill” Sheehan is a former Democratic Town Committee chair in Waterford.