Unity Township officials say they feel like Latrobe's "ugly stepsister" when it comes to recreation funding from the Greater Latrobe School District.
But school officials contend their hands are tied by budget constraints and ongoing plans to consolidate recreation offerings within the district.
At a recent public meeting, Supervisor Michael O'Barto said the $13,000 a year the township receives from the district is "lopsided" compared to the $53,000 annual allocation the district gives to Latrobe Parks and Recreation.
That perceived disparity had prompted a letter to the school board from township recreation director Sherry Bolha in January.
"We would appreciate your re-evaluation of budgeted recreation allotments from the district budget to help us provide better recreational opportunities to our citizens," Bolha stated in the letter. The missive went unanswered.
The school board had discussed the request briefly, but the district's budget later was set with no raise in the township's recreation allocation, said Superintendent Dr. William Stavisky.
"We get a lot of letters requesting funding changes at the beginning of a budget cycle," Stavisky said. But because of the continuing impasse in education funding from the state, "now is not the time to reach into the coffers and pull out new money."
School Director Joseph Stas, who also sits on the township recreation board, said the school board hasn't forgotten the township's request.
"The board is still evaluating and looking at the funding formula," he said. "But with the budget crunch, there are no new expenditures, and right now there is an effort under way to develop a comprehensive plan for recreation within the district."
Local officials have joined in efforts during the past two years to coordinate recreation offerings, starting with formation of a citizens advisory board to address the issue.
A state grant was obtained to study the feasibility of a joint partnership among the township, Latrobe Parks and Recreation, the school district and other institutions and organizations in the area. And Greater Latrobe hired consulting firm Pashek & Associates, of Pittsburgh, to develop a master plan for recreation.
"There is a belief by a majority of school board members that there is a need for a comprehensive plan," Stas said. "And while that committee is working, I think everything should stand still until a decision is made. Then the district will need to look at what funding to allocate."
O'Barto disagreed.
"We don't know where this comprehensive plan is going to lead us, or if it is even going to happen. But in the meantime, we can't just sit and watch the world go by," he said.
"At one time, $13,000 a year was probably more than enough for the recreation programs the township provided," O'Barto added. "But things have changed."
Recreation has taken a front seat in the township, where the recreation budget has quadrupled over the past two years.
The township budgeted $21,000 for recreation in 2001. Last year, the cost jumped to $50,000 and this year's recreation budget is $80,000, with most of the money coming from the general fund.
Supervisors recently announced plans to continue expanding the township's recreation programs.
"The people of Unity Township want and deserve quality recreation programs, and when we have 21,000 residents in 69 square miles, compared to 2.2 square miles and less than 9,000 residents in Latrobe, I think there's kind of an injustice here," O'Barto said.
"We're not asking that taxes be raised; we just want equality for our residents," he added. "There are still towns here that have nothing. Kids are playing in the streets. We have to remember these people who live in the outskirts. They're taxpayers, too."
The response to the township's expanded recreation programs has been unprecedented, Bolha said.
"All of them have been full to the max," she said, citing groups of more than 60 participants turning out for programs designed for 40. "And we take them, because we don't want to turn anyone away."
A few years ago, Bolha added, "we might have had 50 or 60 kids come out for summer playground programs. This year, we had more than 600."
"We appreciate the money the district has given us, and we certainly don't want to sabotage the city," she said. "But we're tired of being the ugly stepsister to Latrobe. If you ask me, we're more like Cinderella coming to the ball."
