Locked gyms drawing attention

A grant that helped keep the school facilities open the last two years has run out. The issue is expected to be discussed at a School Board meeting Thursday.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 23, 2000

INVERNESS -- During the past couple of years, Citrus school and law enforcement officials have tried to quiet the lament that the community offers little entertainment for teenagers.

A big effort was made to use school facilities that were otherwise vacant during the summers, evenings and weekends. There were structured and unstructured events and get-togethers.

Despite that push, this summer the school gymnasiums are locked and a plan to provide parking lots for block parties has fallen through.

School Board Chairwoman Sandra "Sam" Himmel wants to see that change. She said she plans to raise the issue Thursday when the School Board meets to begin discussions of the 2000-01 tentative budget.

Himmel said the district did not allocate money to open gyms again this year, which leaves teens who want to shoot some baskets or gather safely with friends without a place to assemble.

A couple of different circumstances combined to keep the school facilities closed this summer.

For the past two years, the district has used money from a grant channeled through the Department of Education. Those dollars paid for supervision at the schools during the hours the gyms were open. This year, the funding dried up and no additional money was allocated by the school district.

Also in recent months, school and Citrus County Sheriff's Office officials combined efforts to seek a $150,000 grant through the Department of Juvenile Justice. That money would help put a plan in action to use school parking lots for block parties as well as using other community facilities for organized teen events.

"We submitted the grant, but it was highly competitive," said Lt. James Martone, who oversees the district's school resource officers. The grant application was turned down just after the first event was planned at Citrus High School. The party was canceled.

"The idea was a good one, but it's just the supervisory part that was tough," Martone said. Organizers needed people to supervise events and it was tough to find willing people.

That doesn't mean the sheriff's office and school district have given up.

"We've just had to back up and downscale our plan," Martone said. "Now we're looking at doing something during football season."

In the meantime, organizers plan to seek the grant again and hope for better luck next time, Martone said.

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