Sandusky Schools gouging SMCC?

SANDUSKY — The partnership between Sandusky Schools and Sandusky Central Catholic School might be crumbling.Sandusky Central Catholic officials balked when the Sandusky Schools presented a new fee schedule for using Strobel Field at Cedar Point Stadium and the high school swimming pool for its sports teams that's tenfold what the cost was last year.The public school district proposed charging the private school more than $60,000 for the 2019-20 school year. Last year, and in previous years, the total fee was about $6,800.The two sides reached a temporary agreement, but it's unclear how long it will last. Sandusky Central Catholic officials almost moved its football games to Perkins High School this school year. "While I'm pleased we've been able to reach a tentative agreement allowing the tradition of Panther football at Strobel Field to continue, I do have real concerns about the escalating costs related to the shared use of Sandusky City Schools' stadium and pool," Sandusky Central Catholic School president Geoff Palmer told the Register. "It is my hope a reasonable agreement can be reached soon, allowing our swimmers and track athletes, as well as our football teams, band and cheerleaders to continue to use those facilities long into the future."Without a "reasonable agreement," the school will likely need to explore other options, he said."The longstanding partnership between our schools and athletic programs has been a key component of the strength of the Sandusky community as a whole, bringing us together in shared interests," he said. "It's my hope that partnership continues long into the future."Sandusky Schools chief of staff and transformation officer Stephen Sturgill said reviewing their facilities rental pricing "had nothing to do with any outside organization.""After looking at our capital plan and facilities, we needed to make decisions on cost for rental of facilities to maintain operations and maintenance of those facilities," he said.Sturgill said after Sandusky Schools officials reviewed past rentals, the district "was losing a significant amount of money for providing services at limited or no cost.""We can no longer maintain that business model," he said. "Just like we had to deal with the increased cost of our new buildings due to the rising cost of materials and operations, costs need to increase to maintain the facilities. We're trying to break even."Sandusky Schools doesn't seem to be worried whether SCCS may use Perkins High School's field."We have a great working relationship with SCCS and will continue to do so," Sturgill said. "We're working with them."Sturgill said the current temporary agreement of $1,500 per football game for four games is only for football and includes costs for custodial services, lights, care for the football field and stands and other operations.The $6,000 total for four games is almost the total amount charged to SCCS for football stadium and natatorium usage in recent years.Administrators from both institutions have not reached an agreement for track and field season, Sturgill said. He did not say when the school district began charging Sandusky Central Catholic for using facilities and said he wasn't aware of a longstanding agreement between the public and private schools."The fee is consistent or even less than other schools that rent a natatorium," he said. "We researched last year many communities that either rent their stadium and/or natatorium."Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodSt. Mary Central Catholic football has called Strobel Field home for years.St. Mary Central Catholic football players take the field for a game on Sept. 16, 2016. A St. Mary Central Catholic football player runs the ball after making a catch during game on October 22, 2016, at Strobel Field in Sandusky.St. Mary Central Catholic celebrates their homecoming football game on Sept. 16, 2016, at Strobel Field in Sandusky.