School Board Discusses Sports Clubs Financial Accountability

Last year, Upper Moreland Wrestling Club president Trey Patterson made a deal with the Upper Moreland School Board.

“The promise I made to you guys was that, for every dollar that you waived in fees, then I would match dollar–for-dollar at least those funds in support,” Patterson said, adding that he was not referring to fees that cost the taxpayers money, such as custodial fees,

Patterson spoke before the Jan. 10 Facilities and Operation Committee.

He was there on behalf of the UM Wrestling Club, which was asking for waivers of all fees except custodial fees for its two-day tournaments on Jan. 21 and 22, as well as on Feb. 11 and 12.

The club was also requesting a waiver of the $10 per participant fee for the use of school district buildings.

According to Patterson, last year, the total fees waived for a single tournament held in the district, amounted to $650. With last year’s tournament, the wrestling club was able to give back to the school district four times that amount, equaling $2,871.

Patterson, in a , explained that the wrestling club is geared toward younger wrestlers, from age 5 to 12.

At the committee meeting, he further explained that the club works as a “feeder program” for the Wrestling team, and continues to work with the student athletes. According to Patterson, the Middle School and UM Wrestling Club have a strong relationship.

In an act of goodwill toward that relationship, Patterson said the wrestling club often provides the necessary equipment for the use of co-curricular wrestling programs of the school district every year.  

Such equipment include the wrestling mat, worth thousands of dollars; a $600 scale and a $700 electronic score keeper, which Patterson brought with him that night.

“We want you guys to have this and use it,” Patterson said. “We’re wrestlers … we’re a unique breed of people, and we’re here to support you.”

In addition to charging $10 per participant for an event for the use of a school district building, the district also charges a fee to the organization itself for using a building.

Patterson said it would be cost prohibitive for the club, with 48 members, to be able to raise the money to hold tournaments of potentially 200 participants.

The committee and superintendent did expressed gratitude for all that the wrestling club does for the district. However, the district’s superintendent, Dr. Robert Milrod, did express reservations over how waivers are administered to outside organizations.

“Is that the correct direction these things should be going?” Milrod asked.

Milrod pointed to a lack of systematic management of waiver procedures, such as the unique arrangements the district has with the UM Booster Club and UM Little League.  

“I think that we do have to treat each organization differently,” school board member Lisa Berlin said.

Echoing the call for financial accountability from last week’s well-attended Programs and Services Committee meeting, Berlin suggested that outside sports organizations using district services should have individual spreadsheets containing line items of specific contributions.

School board presidnt Dr. David Haikes added that the value of contributions made by outside organizations, such as the UM Wrestling Club’s $700 electronic score keeper, would then go toward offsetting the value of the waivers.

Committee chairperson Mark Wenik said that such contributions should be submitted to the school board in writing.

Milrod added that after the committee and general school board weighs the waiver requests, the district administration would then have proper forms to use to document the contributions and show the public.

The committee approved of the waivers, which will now await final approval at the general school board meeting.

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A continued conversation about co-curricular funding, via the proposed , will continue at the Jan. 17 Budget and Finance committee meeting.