Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 50 meet all educational guidelines and requirements. In some cases, the developer can also provide additional services, such as janitorial or food service or school transportation. Such lease arrangements may actually encourage greater community use of the facilities. In some instances, the district may choose to rent the buildings for only the portion of the day/week/year that school is in session, leaving unused classrooms, auditoriums, kitchens, and sports facilities available for rent and use by community members, civic or recreational organizations, adult education service providers, and others. By making the facilities available to the community, the developer is maximizing the use of infrastructure and earning additional income by leasing used space.76 This joint use may even make it possible to incorporate computer centers, music studios, commercial kitchens, or recreational facilities into school construction or renovation, since the developer will be able to recoup costs from both the district and outside users through lease agreements. Proponents of public-private partnerships emphasize that projects are regularly delivered on time and under budget, have lower construction costs than comparable public sector projects, result in reduced life-cycle maintenance costs, and enable public agencies to focus on their core mission rather than be distracted by infrastructure or facility construction.77 Others, however, warn that the promised cost savings might not actually materialize. For example, transaction costs associated with private-public partnership agreements can be considerably higher than those for issuing traditional bonds because the complexity of these agreements requires extensive work by attorneys and financial advisors.78 Moreover, because school districts pay for the leases from their general operating budgets, these leases may actually siphon limited financial resources away from other educational priorities, unlike traditional bonds that add revenue earmarked for specific projects.79 Fee-Based Revenues User fees are a common revenue source for parks and recreation departments, and schools also collect these for use of their facilities. Fees can be charged each time the facility is used, upon registration for lessons or a recreational program, or through an agreement with an organization for regularly scheduled use. These fees can include charging sports leagues for maintenance and lighting costs, as well as charging individuals for using facilities such as tennis courts and pools. While fees are a component of a revenue strategy, the amount charged is typically inadequate by itself to fully fund a joint use venture. User fees are usually kept low to ensure that most members of the community can afford to take advantage of the programs, and the amount charged does not represent the true cost of using the facility. Also, participation rates are variable, so the amount of money collected may fluctuate from year to year.
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