Maymont to begin charging for student programs

Richmond-area school districts that send classes to participate in educational programs at Maymont will now have to pay a per-student fee, the organization announced yesterday.

Maymont officials said imposing fees for the programs, which were offered free of charge, is necessary because of a drop in charitable donations and reduced funding from the city and county governments, which traditionally have supported the park near the James River in Richmond.

"Although we've never had to ask participants to help pay for program expenses, the tough economic conditions have made it a reality," said Henry "Buz" Bireline, the director of the Maymont Nature Center.

According to its 2007-08 report, 43 percent of the center's $3.6 million budget was funded by donations from individuals and corporations. About 18 percent of funding came from surrounding governments -- the city of Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover. An additional 25 percent came from revenue generated by the center through the rental of its facilities, admissions and retail sales. Fourteen percent came from Maymont's endowment.

But over the past year, Maymont has seen a drop of nearly $200,000 in funding from the private sector and more than $34,000 in government support, said Carol Akin, Maymont's director of development. The budget for this year has been cut $661,000 to a little more than $3 million, she said.

By contrast, local school districts have made extensive use of Maymont's Standards of Learning-based educational programs. According to Maymont, 4,000 elementary school students from Chesterfield, 1,700 students from Hanover and 3,800 elementary students from Richmond visited last year. This year, Maymont will charge a $6 fee per student for its educational programs to students from those counties.

Classes from Henrico County, which sent 5,300 students to Maymont last year, will receive a $3 discount on the SOL program fee per student, thanks to additional funding provided to Maymont by the Henrico School Board.

Officials said the fee is similar to the administrative fee that nearly all nonprofits charge schools for field trips to their facilities.

"The new fee won't cover our full costs, but it will help," Bireline said. "We hope that the schools and counties will consider the fee a small price to pay in order to give their children a valuable, and fun, educational opportunity at Maymont."

General admission to Maymont's Nature Center will remain $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 4 to 12.

Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or .