Organizations not affiliated with the Fox C-6 School District will pay more to use the district’s facilities.
Fox C-6 COO Tracy Schmidt said the new prices were set after comparing what other Jefferson County school districts and other St. Louis-area school districts charge to use facilities such as theaters, gyms and outdoor athletic fields.
“Our rates are still very medium to the lower side, comparatively,” he said. “We just wanted to make them fair.”
The new rates will be charged starting July 1. Board of Education members voted unanimously on Feb. 3 to approve the new prices.
Fox C-6 divides groups into three categories to determine prices.
There is no charge for those in Group A, which includes district and school groups, elementary school-sponsored clubs, adult-sponsored groups such as the Scouts and parent-teacher organizations.
Fox C-6 charges reduced rates for Group B, which are nonprofit feeder programs that prepare students to participate in activities and sports at the high school level.
The district outlines requirements to be considered a feeder program, which includes proof of being a nonprofit group, input from high school coaches on how the participants are instructed and that 75 percent of the team be composed of district students.
Group C is composed of organizations that are not affiliated with Fox, such as for-profit groups or non-district-sponsored activities.
When Fox C-6 changed its facility usage prices in 2024, there was pushback from some feeder groups with representatives saying they could not afford to pay the usage costs.
This year, no one spoke against the price adjustments; Fox C-6 reviews its usage fees annually.
Superintendent Paul Fregeau said there was not the same opposition to the facility pricing structure because of district officials talking with organizations and working with groups to help cover costs.
District officials have said the usage fees are needed to cover utility costs, custodial services and general maintenance for the facilities.
“I appreciate the people’s willingness to talk and work through things,” Fregeau said. “Initially, there were a lot of concerns and questions. By having conversations, we came to a common ground where all could operate in a way they could live with.”
The largest price change is for the use of Rickman Auditorium, 747 Jeffco Blvd, in Arnold.
Groups and organizations not affiliated with the district will pay $50 more per hour to use the 1,400-seat theater.
Fox C-6 will start charging $2,000 for eight hours, or $250 per hour, and $1,000 for an additional four hours, or $250 per hour, starting in July. The current price is $1,600 for eight hours, or $200 per hour, and $800 for an additional four hours, or $200 per hour.
“Rickman is quite a bit larger and is hard to compare to most school district theaters which are located in a high school,” Schmidt said. “The theaters at schools districts of Kirkwood and Lindbergh are all smaller, and yet the rate for Rickman is still lower in comparison with those districts.
“In addition to those facilities charging higher rates, each has higher additional fees for custodians, security, lighting, risers and the use of technicians to operate the performance.”
According to Fox C-6 officials, Kirkwood charges between $361 to $469 per hour for a minimum of four hours and an additional $169 for a set up fee to use its district’s theater.
Fox C-6 officials said Lindbergh charges $328 per hour to use its theater.
Schmidt said Rickman is primarily used for district and school functions, logging 643 hours annually, and Group C organizations use the auditorium for 239 hours annually.
He also said Fox C-6 is improving Rickman. The district recently bought a new lighting system and soundboard, and it will replace the auditorium’s HVAC system.
“We wanted to be at a more competitive rate to maximize our space and to get the revenue that the space deserves,” Schmidt said. “There are not many facilities like Rickman in the area. A lot of theaters are in high schools.”
Fox C-6 also increased the hourly price by $50 for Group C organizations to use the turf fields at Fox and Seckman high schools’ stadiums and shared baseball/softball fields.
The new cost will be $125 per hour on weekdays and $150 per hour on weekends. The current cost is $75 per hour for weekdays and $100 per hour for weekends.
Fox C-6 replaced both high schools’ stadium turf fields in 2024 after both fields were damaged by heavy rains. The district also replaced Seckman High’s baseball/softball field last year, and it will replace Fox High’s baseball/softball field this year after the baseball season concludes.
“For turf fields, the rates for our district are still lower comparatively, even with our fields being newer in comparison,” Schmidt said. “The new approved rate is lower than Fort Zumwalt, Hazelwood, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Northwest, Hillsboro and Kirkwood, and in line with Festus.”
Fox C-6 also increased the hourly rate by $5 for Group C organizations to use district’s gyms, multipurpose rooms, mat rooms, and grass and dirt fields.
The district will eliminate weekday rental fees for Group B organizations to use the gyms, multipurpose rooms, mat rooms, and grass and dirt fields.
Schmidt said he is happy Fox C-6 eliminated those costs for feeder programs.
“Feeder programs are the lifeblood for our high school programs,” he said. “They support our programs as far as training players, teaching them skills and team spirit. We want our district students to be future Jaguars and Warriors.”