KHC, schools reach donation agreement

By Paul Boring Western News Reporter

Attendees at school events held in the Memorial Center will be encouraged to leave a donation, but will not be required to pay a fee, according to a news release from the school district..

Last month the Kootenai Heritage Council announced it would charge $3 per person or $10 per family for people attending Libby school choir and band events at the Memorial Center.

Upon hearing of the fee, concerned parents and citizens turned out for the September school board meeting to voice their disapproval. KHC representatives assured the audience that the fee would be imposed only to recoup the costs of utilities.

Libby School District administrators and the KHC board met to discuss the proposed fee and decided to place a donation box at each event.

³After lengthy discussions, they [KHC] have decided not to charge for elementary, middle and high school choir and band events at the Memorial Center,² district administrators wrote in a letter to parents and guardians. ³Instead, the Libby School District will strongly suggest that all those who attend these events please contribute $3 or more to the donation box to help defray the costs of maintaining the center.²

The press release went on to dispel perceived public misconceptions regarding the KHC and its relationship with the district and the Memorial Center.

³First and foremost, their attempt to charge an entrance fee was not intended to raise money for profit, but rather to simply try to break even,² the release read. ³They are a non-profit organization who has worked hard at balancing their own budget the past six years. They are not in jeopardy of closing their doors at this time, but unless they are able to increase revenues, their future is uncertain.²

The KHC pays a nominal fee to the school district to lease the Memorial Center. Given the small sum, the opinion exists that the organization should not solicit monetary help to assist in covering expenses.

³Though the lease does state this, it must be understood that they put over $2.1 million into refurbishing the building,² the release read. ³Without the efforts of the few volunteers at KHC, the district would currently be in possession of one more building boarded up and sitting idle, and each of the schools would be holding all of their events in the gyms.²

The news release went on to discuss the cooperative effort between the school district and the KHC, explaining that although the two groups are separate entities, they have worked hand-in-hand to make the Memorial Center a remarkable community facility.

³Both are dedicated to enriching the cultural growth of all students and our community by providing an outstanding facility to showcase our young people,² district officials said in the news release. ³When thinking about helping the Memorial Center financially, please realize that you are also supporting all the fine arts programs in the schools by giving them such a wonderful place to perform.²

Representatives from the school district and the KHC will meet again in January to examine success of the donation boxes. If the revenue raised is not sufficient, the two groups will determine a mutually agreed upon fee to be assessed in the future.