STUART — A decision to allow the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County to use one of the school district's facilities sparked debate between the School Board and district staff Tuesday, resulting in Superintendent Laurie Gaylord leaving the virtual meeting before it concluded.
The conversation centered around an agreement that would lease Stuart Middle School to the Boys & Girls Clubs to provide summer academic camps beginning Monday through Aug. 6.
The school district announced last month summer camps would be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The board voted 4-1 to allow the club to use the gym, cafetorium, staff dining area and, if needed, the media center. Board member Christia Li Roberts cast the lone dissenting vote.
"I have never seen something like this," board member Victoria Defenthaler said. "We are giving this community a hard time when they are trying to partner with our school district and serving our students."
More: Martin County schools cancel summer camps; academic summer programs to be held virtually
Prior to the vote, Chief Advancement Officer Angela Hoffman urged the board to consider extending the camp's duration — July 24 to Aug 6 — and lowering the fees associated with renting the space.
The fees were estimated around $12,000, according to the district.
Additional time would give campers the "time appropriate with our educators, our teachers (and) our development staff," Hoffman said. Lowering the costs would enable the club to reallocate funds toward additional instructional materials, she said.
Chairwoman Marsha Powers agreed.
The club is "filling a gap" for the school district and should not have to rent the space, she said.
The board agreed the club is to pay for the supplemental costs associated with the camp, such as additional WiFi, if needed, hand sanitizer, daily cleanings and consumables such as toilet paper.
More: Martin County weighs summer camp options during COVID-19; safety, logistics top concerns
Eliminating summer programs has put a burden on parents trying to return to work, Powers said. Three weeks is "a really long time for kids to be home alone, not having any structure," she added.
Defenthalerquestioned why the club would be unable to use additional spaces such as classrooms or the media room.
For her part, Gaylord said ending the program just days before school is to begin Aug. 11 gives minimal time for district staff to properly prepare and sanitize the campus. The gym and cafetorium were offered because it could fit the most amount of students in one place, she said.
More than an hour into the discussion and during members' questioning about classroom use, Gaylord abruptly left the call without warning.
More: Martin County School District plans for in-person graduations in late July
Board member Tony Anderson echoed other board members' sentiments, saying the club is taking over the summer program for the districts students and the district should try to accommodate their requests.
"If we're going to do it, let's do this right," Anderson said. "Let's try to get (the club) what they need."
Two other facilities are currently operating and another in Palm City is expected to open Monday, Hoffman said.
The club expects to serve more than 100 students at the Stuart Middle School location this summer, Hoffman said.
"The opportunity to utilize Stuart Middle School will be important for us to serve families, get our economy going and get our parents back to work," she said.
Sommer Brugal is TCPalm's education reporter for Indian River, St Lucie and Martin counties. You can keep up with Sommer on Twitter @smbrugal and give her a call at 772-221-4231.
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Martin County School Board allows Boys & Girls Clubs to host summer programs at Stuart Middle School - TCPalm
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