Public requests access to school facilities after hours

By Missy Wattenbarger / mwattenbarger@crossville-chronicle.com

Respect ... Aretha Franklin wanted a little of it and so do Cumberland County taxpayers.

Though they discussed the matter several months ago, the Cumberland County Board of Education was recently asked to revise its policy on community use of school facilities so the public can have adequate access to what they help support.

“I have heard from several of my constituents regarding this…and all they are asking for is that the track and tennis courts remain open,” said 5th District representative Bob Scarbrough.

Last June, the BOE and its policy committee spent several hours deciding what to do with policy 3.206 — community use of school facilities — after receiving concerns about keeping the high schools' sport facilities open. They ultimately decided not to change the policy.

"When not in use for school purposes, school buildings and grounds thereof may be used for public, governmental, charitable, civic, recreational, cultural and other purposes as approved by the board,” concerned resident Jerry Harris read from the policy.

Harris described to the board how he was denied access to the tennis courts at Cumberland County High School after speaking with the school's athletic director.

“He did say that they were being locked because of vandalism, which I understand, and he said the decision had been made by him and the principal," Harris stated. "The disturbing part of the conversation though was that they felt like taxpayers should not have adequate use of those facilities.

“I think we have a double standard here for the administration to say that they should not be available to taxpayers, the athletic facilities especially," he added. "We have some athletic programs…call almost weekly about finding some support so I don’t know how you can have it both ways."

Harris presented the board with a petition signed by several who feel the board should consider doing something to correct this so that the community can use them.

“Let’s not have administrative decisions override the board’s policy and punish all the taxpayers for the few that have made bad choices to commit vandalism…We just ask we use some common sense concerning the public’s access to outdoor facilities and work hand-in-hand together,” he commented before giving the petition to Chair Shirley Parris, 3rd District.

Parris accepted the petition and asked the high school principals to explain why they were keeping them closed. Janet Brooker, principal of Stone Memorial High School, spoke first.

“One of our biggest missions at both the high schools is basic security for our students and security of our property,” she said. “Over at Stone Memorial High School, we’re remote…and if people were allowed to come, I’m afraid it will be an attraction for bad behavior.”

She explained the school's proximity to a Pilot gas station and the interstate already attracts the attention of truck drivers, and by leaving the facilities open, students and the staff could be put in jeopardy.

“Dr. Brooker expressed very well our sentiment,” said Janet Graham, CCHS.

She explained that she resisted locking the gates while a principal at North Cumberland and Stone elementary schools because there were hardly any cases of vandalism. However, the high schools are a different story, she noted.

“We’re going to honor whatever the Board of Education asks us to do…but for the three and the half years that I have been at the high school, I have seen countless messes, major messes from fires and on that we had to clean up,” she said.

She said she understood that those who signed the petition would most likely be “responsible,” but pointed out that they would not be the only ones using the facilities. Plus, she explained that she is already short four custodians and does not have the manpower to clean up after them.

“We don’t live in Mayberry anymore," said Graham. "We have a lot of people coming in here that do not have respect for our schools or our property, and unfortunately, we do have to take measures…”

Parris pointed out that there is a secured recreational facility in town that the public can use, but 1st District representative Brian Houston felt an addition to the policy is needed.

“I think it will help the school system gain some community support back if we could make some kind of arrangements to open the track or the tennis courts," he stated. "I agree that we don’t need anybody from outside on our school property during school hours, but we need to come up with guidelines to keep them open for a certain time period.”

Dan Schlafer, 9th District representative, agreed.

“If it weren’t for the community that supports us, none of us at the table or none of us that are employed would have a job helping children,” he said.

“I think the point was well made by Mr. Harris that every time you turn around our school system has its hand out saying, ‘Help us, help us, help us…’ Then we turn around and say that you can’t use our facilities. That doesn’t sit well,” he added.

As a compromise, he suggested the board give the public use of facilities, but have each person or group fill out a request form in advance.

“That, to me, is the way to have the accountability plus we can post hours…To me, along with being responsible for the sports facility, there comes a responsibility on our part I believe is to be respectable to the community and to be a focal point for activity,” Schlafer said. “I think we need to find some way to work together to make this a better situation for everybody.”

"This issue is going to proceed more and more as summer time comes…Again, the taxpayers are why we're here and the ones who pay for the schools. I think we owe it to them to come up with some alternative so they can have adequate use of them," stated Richard Janeway, 2nd District representative.

Mary Smith, 7th District representative, made a motion to send the policy back to the policy committee, and Victor Randolph, 6th District representative, supported it. The motion passed unanimously.

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