The town of Moravia has asked the Moravia Central School District to take over its summer recreation program.
Town supervisor Terry Baxter made his case to the district board of education at a Wednesday meeting, citing the town’s approximate $17,000 loss over the program over the last three years. He said he anticipates the district will vote to disband the program at a November meeting.
Baxter said on Thursday the program is held for six weeks every summer at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, with various recreational activities. The program hosted a little over 200 children from kindergarten to sixth grade during the summer. Children within the Moravia school district are eligible for the program, with students from the town of Moravia, the village of Moravia, the town of Niles and the town of Locke participating in the program over the last 10 years.
Municipalities are supposed to pay for children in their area to participate, but Baxter said the amount of money coming in has not been covering costs. Between the salaries of employees such as the program’s two directors, program counselors, a nurse and a lifeguard, the cost of supplies and the $1,050 fee the park charges the town to host the program, the town has calculated the cost per per student at about $210. The most recent program cost around $40,000 overall, Baxter said. He said the town hasn’t determined how it will recover that $17,000 loss.
