Wilson Center Seeks More Aid from Elmbrook

Saying the Elmbrook School District's use of the for the Arts has created more work for the center than originally anticipated, the center is asking Elmbrook to increase its annual lease payments to the facility.

Center Executive Director Jon Winkle and Elmbrook Superintendent Matt Gibson jointly proposed to a School Board committee Tuesday that Elmbrook increase its $150,000 annual lease payment to $200,000.

But members of the Finance and Operations Committee were lukewarm to the two men's proposal on how to raise the additional $50,000 in district payments: by creating new user fees for performing arts students.

Some questioned whether there was other ways to reduce the center's costs so the extra money would not be needed from Elmbrook.

Gibson stressed that whatever the outcome of the discussion, he wanted to maintain "outstanding relationship" between the district and the performing arts center.

Winkle agreed the center and Elmbrook have mutually benefited from each other. But he said the amount of time and effort Sharon Lynne staff spend on Elmbrook events at the center has increased, whether it be stage managers, technical crews for sound and light, box office staff and more.

"The burden on my staff... is pretty substantial," Winkle said.

Gibson said the lease calls for Elmbrook to be able to use the state-of-the-art center up to 100 days per year, and the district has averaged 85 to 95 days.

Gibson said: "We're not out of compliance with the lease, but they're (center staff) overdelivering."

That has benefited Elmbrook students, teachers and parents, he said.

However, Winkle said there was a provision in the lease that Elmbrook would "hire and provide a full-time technical support position, which has not occurred."

Gibson said there was an attempt to train students to handle technical work, but that was "inconsistent" and center staff shouldered much of that work.

He said he wanted the center to remain successful and was recommending the increased lease payments out of "fundamental fairness."

Rather than increase ticket prices or conduct fundraisers to come up with the extra $50,000, Gibson and Winkle proposed charging user fees ranging from $10 for elementary school students in band, choir and orchestra to $40 for high school students in annual musicals held at the Sharon Lynne.

The musicals are most labor intensive and have center staff working extra hours on the weekends, Winkle said.

Gibson suggested it might be appropriate to cap a family's total fees because some students might be in several performing arts groups that each would carry a user fee.

Board member Jean Lambert questioned whether it was more equitable to raise ticket prices,which would generate revenue from a wider population than the students involved. 

But Winkle said that would be more complicated, especially when some events only charge a nominal fee and increasing it could be a burden for some families.

Gibson said Elmbrook already agreed to have its maintenance staff take care of snow removal at the Sharon Lynne to save the center about $10,000 to $15,000 a year.

He said it was possible that other local governments could assist the Sharon Lynne with landscaping work to further save money.

Winkle said without additional revenue from Elmbrook, it might have to make changes next fall to how it assists district events there "and it could be substantive."

Board member Bob Ziegler questioned whether Elmbrook should consider reopening its lease to seek a smaller number of days of use, which would allow the center to seek other rental opportunities.

Ziegler asked if the district's elementary schools need to continue using the center or whether they could hold events at the smaller "black box" theaters built at the high schools as part of the recent referendum project.

Board member Meg Wartman said if the district did eventually close one of its six elementary schools, that also could mean fewer events at the center.

Gibson, who also serves on the center's Board of Directors but said he was acting in the district's best interest in his negotiations with Winkle, said he would have further discussions with center officials and bring them to the Finance Committee in the future.