Warsaw May Privatize Athletic Camps
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
During the Warsaw School Board public work session Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Anson made a request to him earlier to consider changing the way sports camps are run and administered. Anson conducted a survey of other school corporations on how their athletic camps were operated, Hintz said.
Anson said he sent surveys out to 15 or 16 schools, but only 10 replied. He picked schools in Warsaw’s conference or that were similar to WCHS. He tried to pick a variety, including schools that were close to South Bend and Fort Wayne.
Currently, funds from athletic camps are held and managed in the corporation accounts. Anson said it’s a big and long process that is cumbersome, and leaves coaches with less to do more with.
Anson said he wants to return the camps to the previous way of being managed by coaches or by outside sources.
WCS Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said he supported Anson’s request to make the change. Ultimately, the camps become market based.
Previously, the Indiana State Board of Accounts brought the way the camps’ money was being tracked to the school corporation’s attention, board member Deb Wiggins said. The ISBA said there needed to be clarity in the process, and Wiggins said there needs to be transparency.
Wiggins said the community previously became “unglued” because camp rates were not consistent.
If Warsaw makes the changes, Wiggins said they need to do what they did with the theater in regards to policies, facilities rental and charges to students.
The school previously took over the sports camps so patrons knew what was going on at the camps and where the money was going, Wiggins said. If they privatize the camps like a business, that’s how they will be run.
School board member Delores Hearn was concerned that not all students would be able to afford the camp costs. Anson said he knows every camp and coach offers some financial scholarships to students who need it.
Wiggins said if privatized and the camps had Warsaw Community Schools’ name on the brochure, it would give the false impression that the school was running the camp. Board Vice President Matt Dick asked Wiggins if she wanted the names of the camps changed based on community concerns. Wiggins said she wasn’t saying what should happen, she was just expressing her concerns.
“You want to privatize these camps?” Dan Metzger, board secretary, asked.
“Yes,” replied Anson.
“If they’re privatized, I don’t see it’s our business what they charge for these camps,” Metzer said.
Scott said Warsaw Community Schools would not be held financially liable for what happens at the camps if they are privatized because of agreements that must be signed. The school corporation has a board-approved facility rental agreement. Rates for facilities haven’t changed in a while, but there is a detailed facility rental structure.
Tandy asked if they should increase those facility rental rates.
“There hasn’t been a driver for an increase,” Scott said.
Wiggins said the camps should be renamed and their literature changed so patrons know who is running the camps.
Anson said when money comes in for the camp, it goes to another department and then to the athletic department. Privatizing the camps will free a lot of work up, he said.
Hintz also reported that three firms were interviewed Monday for the long-range facility feasibility study. Those firms included Kovert Hawkins Architects Inc., Jeffersonville; Schmidt Associates and CSO Architects, both of Indianapolis.
He said they had three really solid presentations, but CSO received the most votes in a straw poll by those at the meeting.
Hintz said they want more time, however, to consider the firms before making a recommendation to the board. He said they think it’s best to start the assessment in June.
The study will look at everything from roofs to traffic flow at all schools.
Scott said they will come back to the board in June for a recommendation.
“I don’t want to shell out a lot of money and then be told what we already know,” Dan Metzger, board secretary, said.
Wiggins said she wants the study to be more expansive than what was done in 2006 for the elementary school construction project.
In other business, the school board:
– Discussed the electoral districts redistricting. The board will consider going with Scenario II at Monday’s regular school board meeting.
Currently, there is a percentage difference of 45 percent between the highest and lowest electoral districts. Scenario II reduces that to about 6.7 percent.
Under Scenario II, District 1 would have a population of 5,555; District 2, population 5,791; District 3, population 5,862; District 4, population 5,941; District 5, population 5,735; District 6, population of 5,558.
The school board must review and decide on the electoral districts every 10 years.
– Reviewed the student-parent handbooks that were revised to update information for the 2012-13 school year. The board will be asked to approve the handbooks Monday.
– Reviewed the personnel report, finance and operations report and out-of-state travel requests.[[In-content Ad]]
During the Warsaw School Board public work session Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Anson made a request to him earlier to consider changing the way sports camps are run and administered. Anson conducted a survey of other school corporations on how their athletic camps were operated, Hintz said.
Anson said he sent surveys out to 15 or 16 schools, but only 10 replied. He picked schools in Warsaw’s conference or that were similar to WCHS. He tried to pick a variety, including schools that were close to South Bend and Fort Wayne.
Currently, funds from athletic camps are held and managed in the corporation accounts. Anson said it’s a big and long process that is cumbersome, and leaves coaches with less to do more with.
Anson said he wants to return the camps to the previous way of being managed by coaches or by outside sources.
WCS Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said he supported Anson’s request to make the change. Ultimately, the camps become market based.
Previously, the Indiana State Board of Accounts brought the way the camps’ money was being tracked to the school corporation’s attention, board member Deb Wiggins said. The ISBA said there needed to be clarity in the process, and Wiggins said there needs to be transparency.
Wiggins said the community previously became “unglued” because camp rates were not consistent.
If Warsaw makes the changes, Wiggins said they need to do what they did with the theater in regards to policies, facilities rental and charges to students.
The school previously took over the sports camps so patrons knew what was going on at the camps and where the money was going, Wiggins said. If they privatize the camps like a business, that’s how they will be run.
School board member Delores Hearn was concerned that not all students would be able to afford the camp costs. Anson said he knows every camp and coach offers some financial scholarships to students who need it.
Wiggins said if privatized and the camps had Warsaw Community Schools’ name on the brochure, it would give the false impression that the school was running the camp. Board Vice President Matt Dick asked Wiggins if she wanted the names of the camps changed based on community concerns. Wiggins said she wasn’t saying what should happen, she was just expressing her concerns.
“You want to privatize these camps?” Dan Metzger, board secretary, asked.
“Yes,” replied Anson.
“If they’re privatized, I don’t see it’s our business what they charge for these camps,” Metzer said.
Scott said Warsaw Community Schools would not be held financially liable for what happens at the camps if they are privatized because of agreements that must be signed. The school corporation has a board-approved facility rental agreement. Rates for facilities haven’t changed in a while, but there is a detailed facility rental structure.
Tandy asked if they should increase those facility rental rates.
“There hasn’t been a driver for an increase,” Scott said.
Wiggins said the camps should be renamed and their literature changed so patrons know who is running the camps.
Anson said when money comes in for the camp, it goes to another department and then to the athletic department. Privatizing the camps will free a lot of work up, he said.
Hintz also reported that three firms were interviewed Monday for the long-range facility feasibility study. Those firms included Kovert Hawkins Architects Inc., Jeffersonville; Schmidt Associates and CSO Architects, both of Indianapolis.
He said they had three really solid presentations, but CSO received the most votes in a straw poll by those at the meeting.
Hintz said they want more time, however, to consider the firms before making a recommendation to the board. He said they think it’s best to start the assessment in June.
The study will look at everything from roofs to traffic flow at all schools.
Scott said they will come back to the board in June for a recommendation.
“I don’t want to shell out a lot of money and then be told what we already know,” Dan Metzger, board secretary, said.
Wiggins said she wants the study to be more expansive than what was done in 2006 for the elementary school construction project.
In other business, the school board:
– Discussed the electoral districts redistricting. The board will consider going with Scenario II at Monday’s regular school board meeting.
Currently, there is a percentage difference of 45 percent between the highest and lowest electoral districts. Scenario II reduces that to about 6.7 percent.
Under Scenario II, District 1 would have a population of 5,555; District 2, population 5,791; District 3, population 5,862; District 4, population 5,941; District 5, population 5,735; District 6, population of 5,558.
The school board must review and decide on the electoral districts every 10 years.
– Reviewed the student-parent handbooks that were revised to update information for the 2012-13 school year. The board will be asked to approve the handbooks Monday.
– Reviewed the personnel report, finance and operations report and out-of-state travel requests.[[In-content Ad]]
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