A different kind of drama - Faced with cuts, school districts raise rents on performing arts spaces (by Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writer)
The play may no longer be the thing for some budding thespians due to the higher rates local school districts are charging to use their theaters. Faced with state budget cuts and other financial troubles, districts are raising the rates in order to fully recoup the costs associated with renting facilities to organizations like Il Piccolo (Players), a performing arts group based in Burlingame. Those hikes could force some to bow out of acting as program costs subsequently increase, said Cathy Foxhoven, Il Piccolo's art director and a contractor for Burlingame's after-school program. Her group is bracing for higher rates to use the auditorium and theater at Burlingame High School. Already, the cost of using the Burlingame Intermediate School auditorium has climbed from roughly $1,200 to $1,800 per production this year, Foxhoven said. San Mateo Union High School District officials said rental rates will rise on July 1 to $181 for two hours and about $726 for eight hours. Presently, the rates are $200 for four hours and range from $400 to $600 for eight hours. Recent cutbacks and slashed school funding are fueling the decision to increase rents, school officials said. "A year and a half ago we cut $3 million out of our budget," said Liz McManus, the high school district's associate superintendent for business. "There is not any more room to cut." Burlingame School District officials said they are in a similar situation. "Every school district is scrambling to search for revenue," said school board president Michael Barber. "Any space we have, we are always looking for ways to leverage so that we can get more revenue." But the new rates could make it prohibitively expensive for some children to participate, for example, in the Burlingame Parks and Recreation Department after-school enrichment program's production of "Robin Hood," which will be performed at Burlingame High School, Foxhoven said. It costs each participant $181 to be in the production, but the new rates could boost that figure to $500. The rental rates are not yet set in stone, said high school district Board Member Dave Pine. "It is clear that cities and individual groups are going to have to sit down with the high school district," he said. "The district is just doing what it has to do to recoup costs." Burlingame officials plan to discuss the issue with the high school district, said Randy Schwartz, the city's director of parks and recreation. He pointed out that the city does not charge the district for its use of Burlingame facilities. Meanwhile, Foxhoven has started to contact churches about using their facilities. "We are not going to quit what we are doing with our productions," she said. "Even if we have to do it on the street, we will make something work." Burlingame parent Leslie Ragsdale said she will have to reduce the number of programs her children participate in if the costs go up. She wondered how other families would weather the increases. "I think a lot of families wouldn't be able to do the programs," Ragsdale said.### The Il Piccolo Players has NEVER in the past used a school facility for their small productions which, even at the District's present rate, would be cost prohibitive for a group that does not charge an entrance fee to their productions. A generous business opens up their space for rehearsals and a generous caffe is their "theatre". Of course their productions are limited in size because of this. There is a beautiful stage at the Burlingame Womans Club which is cost prohibitive for most groups and an unuseable half stage at the Recreation Center ($7,000+ would fix that one). All the world's a stage ... and perhaps street theatre is the way to go in Burlingame!
- Written by Fiona
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