MUSD facility usage fee schedule

InMaricopa.com runs, on a regular basis, opinion pieces submitted by community members. The following article is the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of InMaricopa.com

Maricopa is a city full of wonderful people who have organized to create some very amazing nonprofit organizations that do wonderful things for Maricopa.

Yet, what Maricopa lacks is a place for these nonprofit organizations to meet. Churches, in particular, have formed to support the many faiths of our residents. Obviously, many of these churches have started from nothing, are independent of large incorporated faiths and thus have very limited resources for their early years.

Without these churches, Maricopa would lose a great service in our community. It was churches that were the driving force for starting the food bank and feeding hungry people. It is churches that have provided needs for families that have had their home destroyed by fire. It is churches that support family crisis. It is important for these churches to continue to have a place to meet.

I have read many of the articles on the last school board meeting where the Facility Usage Fee Schedule was discussed. I want to thank Tim White and Geoff Goddard for supporting the value that churches provide in our community:

“The school district can make a huge contribution to the community. If we don’t make it (the facility usage fee schedule) work, the community is going to suffer in the long run.” Geoff Goddard, board president

“A lot of children go to church, and how can you discriminate? Either strike ‘school-age children’ or put churches in Class 1.” Tim White, school board member

I can understand having a tiered usage fee schedule between profit and nonprofit organizations; however, I cannot understand a tiered fee schedule among nonprofits. In fact, I believe it might very well be a form of discrimination to have a tiered usage fee schedule separating nonprofit organizations. There doesn’t seem to be a fair or logical reason for separating nonprofit organizations. What specifically does not seem fair is putting nonprofit organizations that benefit children on the first tier, yet excluding churches. Churches have a significant benefit in a child’s life.

I was very upset by a couple very derogative, insensitive, and uninformed comments made by board member Tracy Davis and school district employee John Sampson:

“It’s almost too much of a comfort zone to fall back on school facilities. We’re basically giving away our properties because our fees are too low.” Tracy Davis, school board member

“After a year or year and a half, they should get out. When they’re here, they don’t have a sense of ownership.” John Sampson, MUSD employee

It is my understanding that Davis attends a church that has had a building in Maricopa for many, many years. I’m not aware of whether John Sampson attends a church. However, without making assumptions, it seems likely to me that neither of these individuals have ever been a part of a church startup, where the amount of work to set up is challenging- every Sunday in a school facility, in the summer at 110 degrees, out of a trailer and then back into the trailer at the end of each service. It is anything but a ‘comfort zone’ or a ‘lack of ownership.’ In fact, it is the exact opposite! It is uncomfortable, and it is total ownership, or it couldn’t be done every week. But it is a necessity for most all church startups. I believe these two individuals owe the church startups in Maricopa an apology for their insensitive comments.

The church startups in Maricopa need a place to meet; they need a place to grow. They don’t have huge resources and thus, until they grow, they need the expenses to be reasonable to continue to survive. Geoff Goddard is right; Maricopa will suffer if the school district prices churches out of the schools.

District staff members, Mr. Sampson, and Mr. Rausch, I ask that you keep these important points in mind when considering the Facility Usage Fee Schedule.

Speak Out: Church members, other nonprofits members (who may also be impacted by this proposed tiered fee schedule) and residents, speak out and let your school board know how you feel about this issue. They need to hear from you! Here are the people I suggest you email:

[email protected], Geoff Goddard, School board president
[email protected], Carrie Vargas, School board
[email protected], Lori Glenn, School board
[email protected], Tracy Davis, School board
[email protected], Tim White, School board
[email protected], John Sampson, School staff and author of fee schedule
[email protected], Jeff Kleck, Interim MUSD Superintendent
[email protected], Aron Rausch, School staff and author of fee schedule

Sincerely, Nancy Smith

Nancy Smith is a volunteer for many local nonprofits, co-founder of F.O.R. Maricopa Food Bank and a core team member of a church startup in Maricopa.

Submitted photo

Have an opinion you’d like to share with Maricopa? Please email it and any applicable photos to [email protected] for consideration.