We applaud the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board for reviewing and publicly stating the School District’s policy concerning the lease of School District facilities, specifically when it comes to use by nonprofits.

During their March 3 meeting, several School Board members debated the merits of a month-to-month lease of LaPlace Elementary School to The Mission Church for weekend service use.

The discussion took on a larger frame when it was not clear to School Board members what the District’s standard policy was regarding agreements with nonprofits.

District 2 School Board Member Albert Burl rightfully voted against the agreement March 3, indicating he had nothing against the church in question but was confused by the School Board’s seeming arbitrary basis in awarding specialized rates to nonprofit organizations.

Burl, along with District 8 School Board Member Russ Wise, said Board members would review their policy in hopes of establishing a uniform rate schedule for all entities to follow.

It was a necessary step as the demand for rental use will surely continue in our parish as the School District builds new schools equipped with spacious gyms and multi-purpose cafetoriums.

The School Board met again last week in Reserve, where Superintendent Kevin George informed the Board of his findings, explaining entities defined as “nonprofits” by the IRS are charged a $500 deposit to use school facilities during non-school hours.

Once the School District tabulates the cost to the District following the facility’s use, administrators deduct the cost from the deposit and refund the rest back to the nonprofit organization.

On Thursday, George told Board members the School District would simply follow its nonprofit procedure concerning The Mission Church’s continued use of the school.

It’s a simple policy and one that should eliminate confusion as long as it is followed going forward.