What began as a discussion on suspending a Chester County School Board policy evolved into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the school district and the Town of Great Falls.
At their September meeting the school board first discussed suspending a policy on use of school facilities. What brought this about was a letter from Great Falls Mayor Josh Brantley asking for use of the Great Falls High School football stadium for the town’s youth flag football program, specifically on two different dates: October 11 and November 8.
Superintendent Dr. Antwon Sutton said based on current board policy, the district would have to deny the request, because the Town would be charging for the football games that would be held there. Dr. Sutton said the district makes every effort to work with the municipal governments throughout the county.
“One on hand we could grant the use, but on the other, the policy doesn’t allow groups to charge, but I believe in attempting to work with agencies and organizations within our county, and this is an event to support the Town of Great Falls and the youth in our community, so I felt that I needed to bring this before the board for approval,” Dr. Sutton said.
The board first explored suspending the policy in these two particular instances for the Town of Great Falls only, but board member Brenda Fort disagreed with that idea.
“I don’t think we should ever suspend policy. I think the Superintendent should create a MOA, which is a legal relationship between two or more parties working towards a shared goal. The MOA would be preferable because Great Falls High School uses the Town’s old football field for the baseball field. We have used that without any payment for it, and taking full responsibility for it.
“For each game (the district) provides all security, all equipment and the school keeps all the profits from (the games). Since the school does that with the Town’s property, I think a MOA, and not having to (suspend) the policy. Because if I were an organization and the district suspended the policy, no matter how good the reason is, for one organization, and I came to the district and say ‘this is what we need’ and you ever tell me no, it’s going to be ‘on like Donkey Kong,” Fort said.
Board Chair Doug Shannon said an MOA would set up all the conditions for use, as opposed to a suspension of the policy. He recommended that Dr. Sutton create the Memorandum of Agreement, and said there could already be one in place for the district’s use of the Town’s old football field.
Fort said she spoke to Mayor Brantley and he let her know that the Town would like to be able to use the stadium for events such as this in the future, for more than two games, “and if that’s the case, we don’t need to be fooling with our policy, if we agree that quid pro quo, if the Town allows us to use their facility, this would be a quid pro quo with the Memorandum of Agreement.”
The Board agreed Dr. Sutton should create the Memorandum of Agreement with the Town of Great Falls.
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