The Herricks School district may start charging athletic groups a surcharge fee when they sign up for a permit to use the fields within the district, and the fees would go towards helping to fund the athletic programs.
At a regular meeting of the Herricks School Board of Education, the board asked Herricks Superintendent of Schools John Bierwirth to contact Herricks Director of Athletics Jim Petricca, to ask for a total list of permits issued over the course of the year.
“I think we should know the total number of permits issued, to see if we should start adding a surcharge for the usage of the fields,” Board of Education President Christine Turner said. “This may be a way to help raise funds for the athletic program.”
According to Bierwirth the district does not charge youth groups for the usage of the fields.
Denton Avenue PTA co-president Debbie Imperatore suggested that there be a sliding scale when it came to permit surcharges for the athletic groups within the district.
Imperatore raised the concern of groups outside the district coming in and trying to use the fields illegally.
“Unfortunately we don’t have people watching the fields all the time,” Bierwirth said. “When Jim Petricca gets out there he chases the people off. If you see people there who aren’t part of the district you can call the police, or me.”
Trustee Jim Gounaris suggested the board look into sign advertising at the fields to help raise money for the athletic programs.
“We need to find out what the state requires on sign dimensions, so we can put them up on the fences at the athletic fields,” Gounaris said. “We have people who had shown an interest in wanting their names on the signs.”
Jim Gounaris was officially sworn in as a trustee of the Herricks School Board at Tuesday’s reorganization meeting.
“I feel fantastic,” Gounaris said, in reference to his first official day on the job. “These are good people.”
Turner was sworn in as school board president, entering into her 21st year as a member of the board.
