ROCHESTER — Asked by the Rochester School Committee for an update on their work on a school-use policy, the Old Rochester Regional policy subcommittee said that their ideas so far include a $25 application fee and a fee per hour based on the room used. It still needs community feedback to finalize the policy.

This change would allow the school to cover the costs of wear and tear on the district’s building, which is not currently covered by the school 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.

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.

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.

At present, the school had charges the same whether a group uses the facilities for one hour or eight.

A recreational basketball coach attended the meeting to voice concerns that the policy would weigh more heavily on Rochester basketball players, who must join their peers in Marion or Mattapoisett departments because the town does not have a recreation department, but make up some of the difference with free gym time.

She was concerned that if the group could no longer access the gym for free, the other recreation departments would move to exclude Rochester players. 

Superintendent Doug White responded that he is open to charging recreation departments and other town groups less than he would charge outside groups. 

One group that would be hard-hit by the increased fees are the Rochester Scouts BSA (formerly the Boy Scouts), which uses the school’s cafeteria for its Pinewood Derbies, traditionally hosts the District Pinewood Derby, and holds Crossover ceremonies, where Scouts transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.   

A new Troop 31G recently started to allow a group of Rochester girls who want to join the now-unisex organization to do so. The fees would hit them particularly hard, their Scoutmaster Mike Blanchard said. 

“We’re just starting, so our yearly budget could be $350 and that would take a year for us to get in fundraisers,” he said. For perspective, that would be roughly the same cost as hosting one 5.5 hour event in the cafeteria.

He also tried to contextualize what might otherwise seem like a small fee by saying how much it would take scouts to earn it. 

“for Girl Scouts, they make $0.90 a box [of Girl Scout Cookies]. That’s a lot of cookies for $25,” Blanchard said.  

When he used to use the facilities at Rochester Memorial School, “We never got charged, would always clean up, would always feed Tony [the school’s janitor]. I know the [current] Boy Scouts troop does the same thing.” 

The group could consider space at the Grange Hall, Senior Center, or the First Congregational Church of Rochester Friendship Hall, though the latter is frequently booked. 

However, those other spaces are smaller, and If the scouts couldn’t use the school for events because of prohibitively high costs would have to cancel events, make them smaller or limit family sizes.

“We’re not above paying, and not against [the school district] charging because obviously there’s wear and tear on the facilities.” Blanchard said, but added that “I don’t think they realize how much money that is to an organization like the scouts.” 

However, Blanchard does take issue with one part of the policy: the application fee. 

“That’s absolutely ludicrous if you ask me —  charging to ask if you can use the facilities,” said the Scoutmaster. 

 His suggestion for a more reasonable rate would be something between $10 and $20 an hour. 

Though the initial price is  an issue for the Scouts, Blanchard is ultimately “sure we will be able to come to some arrangement” with the school. 

The School Committee and school administration plan to seek more feedback from community groups in a forum in early March before finalizing the plan.