Fort Myers, FL
While the attorney's for the Gateway Services District and Charter Schools USA fight over memos and documents that will only benefit their pocketbooks, I thought it was a good idea if someone offered up a solution that would benefit all of us. As you know, after reading the statute, as well as consulting with the Gateway Gazette legal affairs department we have determined that the district will, in the end, lose the battle to assess fees on the two charter schools in Gateway.
Charter is requesting a refund of $47,000 from 2007. They've yet to pay the 2008 and 2009 assessments. So to simplify, for the sake of the Supervisors, let's round that number out to a conservative $100,000 pot of money. If the district loses, the Gateway residents will pay that money back via our reserve account. I'm guessing Charter has the assessment money for 2008 and 2009 set aside in the unlikely event that it loses the case.
Each side should select one representative, not an attorney, to hammer out an agreement that benefits the entire Gateway community. The Gateway Charter Schools need a place for their sports teams. Gateway residents need a way to recoup some of the money they spend on the fields, the lights and the concession stand every year. And I understand we all have a different philosophy for what those fields should be. I believe they should benefit everyone. Some believe they should ONLY benefit the soccer programs.
Right now the Charter school baseball team is driving deep into the heart of Lehigh for games and practice. The Football team is playing at Buckingham. These are Gateway teams. These schools are part of our community. These games should be played here in Gateway, in our community. Gateway needs a revenue stream to help offset a soccer complex we are subsidizing for all of Fort Myers. Gateway residents pay nearly 100% of the field maintenance at the soccer fields in addition to whatever fees parents pay for their kids to play in those leagues. Gateway residents also purchased nearly 100% of the concession stand equipment.
Why don't we, following an education that includes public meetings (and the OK of the residents), take the $47,000 the school is requesting, ask the school to add in the assessment money they owe us from 2008 and 2009 and build a football/baseball field at the sports complex. This solution gives the community a new benefit of youth baseball and adult softball. It gives the school a home for the baseball and football teams they so desperately need and it also gives the community a real opportunity to recoup some of the money put into maintaining those fields. Why? How? The concession stand, that's how.
Part of the deal for us should be 100% of the concession stand revenue during games. Run properly Friday night high school football could be a serious money maker for the community. Add to that the baseball games, softball tournaments and other events. The residents
But let's forget about the money for a minute. As I've written before, the community spirit that you get from a Friday night Football game cannot be matched. The kids, the parents, the visiting communities, it's all a positive for Gateway. So instead of the two sides fighting, where attorneys will surely benefit, why doesn't someone stand up and consider this out-of-the-box solution. In a fight, not only will one side have to lose, the animosity being created is not what the community needs if we are going to try to build a better Gateway (ie: their attorney has an attitude problem).
Let me know your thoughts.
