Arlington DPR currently reports 57% cost recovery for recreational gymnastics at Barcroft — well below the 86% target. But that number tells only half the story.
There are approximately 1,000 enrolled in Barcroft's Winter rec program and roughly 1,300 more on the waitlist. DPR's cost recovery figures reflect only the families they chose to serve — not the demand they turned away.
The Scenarios DPR Never Modeled
If DPR enrolled just 25% of the waitlist, cost recovery jumps to approximately 70%. At 50% of the waitlist, it reaches 79%. Add a 15% fee increase — which families have already said they'd support — and cost recovery hits 90%, exceeding the county's own target. At market-rate fees (Barcroft charges roughly 50% below comparable programs), recovery exceeds 109%.
The Bottom Line
DPR's "unsustainable" program is within target range if they simply served the demand that already exists and adjusted fees. The point isn't to match private gym prices — it's that the headroom exists. There are options that were never explored.