Stop Unequal Treatment of PSD by PenMet Parks

The Peninsula School District should not give special access and favorable terms to outside organizations unless they provide equal access to all PSD families. Yet that is exactly what they are doing.

When PSD entered into a shared-use agreement with PenMet Parks, the community was told it was a win-win. Now, nearly two years later, a basic question remains: win-win for whom?

The joint use agreement gives each local government priority access and favorable rental terms to the other’s facilities when not in use, prioritizing that access over local nonprofit organizations that serve the entire school district. On the surface, shared use of facilities seems like a good use of taxpayer-funded assets. PenMet needed PSD’s gyms for its popular basketball programs, while the PSD needed PenMet’s artificial turf baseball infield at Sehmel Park because its own high school fields are substandard.

However, it becomes problematic when the favored partner doesn’t treat all residents the same. Those residing on the Key Peninsula or within the Gig Harbor city limits, which are outside the smaller PenMet boundary, cannot sign up for PenMet programs, including those held at PSD facilities, until one week after registration opens for PenMet residents. If space remains, they are charged a 20% out-of-district surcharge. Too often, a week later, registration is full, and they never had a chance to sign up.

PenMet’s reasoning for this pricing scheme is to protect its taxpayers, who significantly subsidize programming, and that is their right. On the other hand, PSD isn’t looking out for its residents, who fund PSD facilities.

If a public partnership is truly for the benefit of the whole school district community, then every family should be treated like part of that community. It is time for the school board to stop talking about fixing this flawed arrangement and actually do it.