Shreveport Council to Consider New Deal for Sci Port Management
The Shreveport City Council is considering a major change for the Sci Port Discovery Center management. The panel is set to vote on a new cooperative endeavor agreement with Red River STEM, Inc.
The City of Shreveport owns the building and much of the equipment inside the children's hands-on museum and that will not change. But the management partner would change. Shreveport spent money back in 1994 to bring the complex to life and this new deal will cost the city about $65,000 for this year.
The State chipped in the majority of the money for the design and construction of Sci Port through the Capital Outlay budget. The non profit group will be responsible for securing funding from private donors and foundations to pay for planning, programming and operational costs.
This new agreement, if approved, would begin on August 1st.
In 1998, Shreveport entered into an agreement for a primary term of ten years. Sci-Port Discovery Center, Inc. is no longer able to operate and manage the Sci-Port Discovery Center and most of the museum is closed. There is still some debt and the new entity will not be assuming that debt.
The Community Foundation will act as fiscal agent for Red River STEM while that group works to get non profit status through the IRS.
Back in June, we talked with Kristi Gustavson with the Community Foundation about this new management arrangement.