By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Hoisington Activity Center serves many purposes for many organizations, including USD 431 and the Hoisington Rec Center. Monday night, the two boards held a joint meeting to discuss policy updates for the facility. USD 431 Superintendent Patrick Crowdis explained the balancing act required to keep operations running smoothly.
"The reason it was really brought up was the idea of making sure the public had access to the Activity Center, and we as the district were accommodating the Rec. After we accommodate those two, then we go ahead and accommodate the additional teams that are requesting usage of our facilities plus the facilities that are at the Activity Center."
The current policy prioritizes local teams and organizations over organizations from outside of Hoisington. The current policy also includes a fee schedule for district properties though the policy is not usually enforced. USD 431 Board Member Sara Tarlton felt that needed to be addressed moving forward.
"I feel like non-Hoisington teams should be charged for usage," she said. "The people in town are paying taxes to use the Rec. These people are coming in from out of town. If they're going to use our facilities, they need to pay."
The boards agreed non-profit organizations that request time at the facility be added to the priority list that will not be charged a fee. Athletic teams from outside of Hoisington will now be charged a deposit and fee to use the facility. The boards also agreed that booking too far in advance can result in conflict, so no team will be allowed to book court time more than 30 days in advance, and a request must be completed for each use.
Because some organizations have scheduled practices at the facility through April with no expectation of paying fees, the boards agreed to make the new rules effective July 1, 2024. Crowdis will present a final copy of the changes to the board of education for approval at the March meeting.