ROCHESTER — Members of the School Committee did more brainstorming on how Rochester should handle changes to the school’s rental policy, though it made no decisions. 

The Old Rochester Regional School district has been looking into the question of school rentals, since they cause wear and tear on school facilities and are not included in the school’s budget. 

The school-use issue came up last year, when the Old Rochester Regional High School asked the towns for $2,000,000 in a Proposition 2-½ override to repair its main football field and track and auditorium. Put to voters in Town Meetings and referendums, the proposal failed in a final referendum in Rochester in July.

In September 2019, The Old Rochester Regional Travel Basketball Association came before the Old Rochester Regional School District Committee to bring up the fact that its rental cost had gone up more than $10,000 from the school year before. The meeting sparked a debate, and the district promised to look into its rental policy.

Rochester School Committee members heard the subcommittee’s initial idea for a building use policy from Danni Kleiman, who serves on that subcommittee, on Feb. 6.

Renting the high school and junior high auditorium, cafeteria or gym would be $50 per hour. The elementary schools would charge $60 per hour for the cafeteria and $50 per hour for the gym. The classrooms would all be $25 per hour to rent and the library or media center would be $30 per hour.  Charges would also change if custodians have to come in during non-standard hours. This policy has not been finalized, but came before school committee members in February because they had asked.  The committee will also seek community input on the policy from groups it would impact before it is finalized. 

Complicating matters slightly is the fact that Rochester has its own rental policy for the school. Currently, town groups that use the school’s facilities outside of school hours are not charged a rental fee, but are charged utilities fees. Outside groups are charged both a rental and utilities fee. It is not clear from the rental policy or application for building use what the fees are, as they are not listed.

School committee members on March 12 raised the possibility of Rochester just keeping its own policy, and finding another way to deal with maintenance costs.

School Committee Chair Sharon Hartley explained that the “school building is for the children, but is also a major, important building to the town.” She added that when it was constructed, the building was purposely laid out so that the gym in particular would be accessible from the parking lot, in part because Rochester doesn’t have a recreation department or similar space for community members to be. 

Another member, Robin Rounseville, asked who was using the facility and whether it was nonprofit groups, community organizations or children. 

The group wanted to continue the discussion before a joint school committee meeting where they would need to weigh in, but resolved to keep the item on their agenda for the next meeting and keep gathering information.