Q Is the director of the Lee Beran Recreation Center paid from tax dollars generated by the Emporia school district or, at least, in part by those tax dollars? Can I assume, if this is true, that all of the employees of the rec center also are paid from the same monies?
A The Recreation Commission and the school district have a marriage of convenience for budget purposes; it is not a true sharing or division of funds.
“The Recreation Commission does not have the authority to levy taxes,” explained Nancy Horst, community relations director for the school district. “Therefore, the school district levies the taxes and the funds are distributed directly to the Recreation Commission.”
The Recreation Commission decides how much it needs from the levy to operate, approves its own budget for how the money will be used, and then lets the Board of Education of USD 253 know what the levy needs to be for the Recreation Commission.
Depending upon the job, salaries at the recreation center are paid from that levy and/or user fees, not with school district funds, even though both budgets have to be submitted together.
McEvoy said that the commission levy stays at 4.0 mils or below.
“Basically, the rec commission budget is not supposed to do improvement projects, facilities,” said Tom McEvoy, director. “We’re more geared for programming, the services.”
Rules for financing and operating recreation centers were created more than 50 years ago or more.
“I don’t think they realized back then that recreation would become full-time, 12 months a year,” he said.
F Send questions for “Because You Asked” to mlynar@emporiagazette.com. Questions must have contact information for additional information but names will not be published.
jasonesu (anonymous) says...
So since the money is levied by the school district and they distribute it to the rec commission, it would be a fair assumption that the directors pay is some what subsidized by the tax payers of USD 253. I wonder why then the director sends his daughter out of town to school.
September 10, 2007 at 4:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
siamesefred (anonymous) says...
There are many reasons why parents choose to send their children to neighboring districts. Every parent I know in this situation has made a personal choice.
I know parents who prefer the smaller Olpe schools to Emporia, yet don't want the other side of the sword of living in a small town, so they live in Emporia and drive kids to Olpe.
I know North Lyon County parents who send their children to Emporia and vice versa. Sometimes the choice is academic programs, other times it's sports because their kids came through the Emporia Rec sports programs and know the Emporia kids. Sometimes it's based on the friends they've made through membership in Emporia churches.
I even know some parents with one child in one district and other children in the other. It's a personal decision based on the child. I know my children could handle the academic challenges in Emporia, but firmly believe that socially, they'd be lost in such a big environment.
I don't believe we can fault parents who care enough about their children to make the tough choices.
September 11, 2007 at 7:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )