To the editor:
The Shawano Lake Lioness Club has been holding a fundraising craft fair for many years at Shawano Community Middle School and most recently at Olga Brener Intermediate School. The cost of using these facilities has risen considerably this year despite the facts that we are taxpayers and our club is a nonprofit organization.
The quoted price for us to use the commons area, kitchen and restrooms at Olga Brener in November is $440 for two hours on Friday afternoon and nine hours on Saturday. We understand that we have to pay for the custodian that entire time (even though that person is doing school district work and not working for us). At $20 per hour, that is only $220. Adding a small amount for the use of the kitchen still does not total $440. Every year, we have put away all tables and chairs, swept the floor and left the facility as we found it.
Because we were dissatisfied with this fee, we asked to meet with the finance committee of the School Board to discuss the matter. We were denied this meeting because we were told if they adjusted the price for us, they would have to do it for every nonprofit.
That is a fair statement but the question is: Why should nonprofits have to pay at all to use community school facilities?
All monies that we make on our events are given back to the community and Lions charities. For example, our club members spent many hours last year testing the vision of 576 students at Hillcrest School at no cost to the school district. We donated $2,000 in scholarships to high school students. This month, we contributed $1,000 plus many volunteer hours to the Backpacks for Kids project for needy students.
We feel the community should be aware of the lack of cooperation from the finance committee of the School Board in response to our request for a meeting. We also feel the school district should not be charging nonprofit groups. If the board feels it necessary to do so, the charges should be for the actual costs incurred only, not any added fees.
Mary Martzke,
Secretary,
Shawano Lake Lioness Club
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