The Chillicothe R-2 School Board will determine next month whether to amend a district policy that bans alcohol from school property. If the policy is revised, alcohol will be allowed only at the Jenkins Expo Center, when the building is rented to adult, non-school-affiliated groups.
Board members heard several comments regarding the issue — both in favor and against it — during the regular September meeting held Tuesday evening at district headquarters.
Ron Wolf, co-director of Grand River Technical School, told board members that he asked that the policy be re-examined for two reasons:
• Local foundations gave huge sums of money toward the construction of the Jenkins Expo Center in hopes that the large building would be often used by the community. Wolf noted that there are few local sites available for groups and individuals interested in renting a large facility for events such as banquets and wedding receptions, where alcohol is sometimes present.
“We sold this idea (of having a large community building available to the pubic) to those foundations and we’re having to turn people down because of the district’s policy,” Wolf said.
• Amending the policy would attract additional renters at the Jenkins Expo Center and create needed district revenue.
Wolf told those gathered that when the board approved the Jenkins Expo Center project and fairgrounds, board members made it clear that no district funds were to be used for construction of the fairgrounds and that the district would maintain the grounds.
Last year, Wolf said, the district provided $9,600 to pay for utilities and maintenence of the fairgrounds, with most of those funds going toward utility costs and maintenence of the Expo Center. Wolf said that revenue from renting the building came over $2,000 shy of covering that cost. As the Jenkins Expo Center ages, Wolf went on to say, more funds will need to be utilized for the building’s maintenence.........
Chillicothe, Mo. —
