- November 22, 2024
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The School Board raised membership rates at the Belle Terre Swim & Racquet Club late last year. But with a push to increase revenue and convince the board to keep the facility open to the public, rates are likely going up again.
The board is expected to vote on new rates at next month's business meeting.
Adult monthly rates would increase from $47 to $55. Annual membership was slated to remain at $300, but board member Will Furry, saying the proposed rates were "way too low," proposed raising it to $420, which averages to $35 a month.
Last month, Furry and board member Sally Hunt voted against keeping the facility open to members. But now the board is committed to helping the club break even or at least see it lose less than $80,000 a year, which is the projected cost of closing the gym and keeping the pool open for student use and group rentals.
In addition, the club will charge a $50 annual administrative fee for all adult members, including those who use the facility through their insurance plans.
Currently, there are 168 paying members, Joshua Walker, the district's coordinator of community services, told the board at its June 20 workshop. But there are also about 800 insurance plan members on the rolls.
"This is the problem. If we're going to keep it going, we can't give it away anymore," Furry said.
The club is holding an open house Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to try to sell memberships. The event will include a cookout from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.
The district's proposed timeline will give the facility a year to turn itself around, with the club's revenue and expenses to be presented to the board at the July 16, 2024 workshop.
The board would again vote on continuing the membership model or moving to a student-focused model at the Aug. 20, 2024 meeting. If the board votes to end memberships, the deadline to inform the insurance companies will be Sept. 1, 2024, and the potential last day of membership operations would be Dec. 31, 2024.
