Money from the Apportionment Board reserve account is up for Student Senate approval to further fund the Recreational Center for new equipment and student payroll.

At the end of March, the AB allocated $447,375 to itself, Student Government, University Board, Sports and Recreation and the Players Dramatic Performances board for their budgets for the next fiscal year. These are the only five boards eligible for AB allocated money, which comes from the student activity fee.

Jen Fanthorpe, student vice president for financial affairs, said the only other things AB money funds are unexpected costs, like when extra sporting activities arise such as an Eastern athletic team making the playoffs. In these situations, that board needs money to host the extra event.

This year, AB developed a budget for Sports and Recreation, which asked for $210,358 but received $30,000 less than that when the AB allocated it $179,000.

AB has a reserve fund of all money not allocated from the current year’s budget and Fanthorpe said any one of the five boards can ask for the money on a case-to-case basis.

So far this year the AB has allocated funds from the reserve to help fund the UB concert committee, Family Weekend and the Recognized Student Organization Banquet.

Fanthorpe said the UB, which funds events such as concerts, and Sports and Recreation were most heavily cut from the initial allocation for their budgets.

Ken Baker, director of student recreation, made a request for an additional $14,841 to help fund new weight room equipment, including rubber weights, an exercise machine and an industrial-grade electronic scale.

Fanthorpe said some of the equipment in the new allocation request was in the initial Sports and Recreation budget request for next fiscal year.

Baker said schools like Western Illinois University have 13 full-time employees, as opposed to Eastern where there are only three full-time administrators.

“We rely a lot on student workers,” Baker said.

Baker said $5,000 of the $14,841 will go toward student payroll, which cost sports and recreation $140,000 last year.

Baker said the money is justifiable because the Student Recreation Center is open 50 weeks out of the year, 18 and a half hours a day, from 5:30 a.m. to midnight.

“We’re open more than any facility on campus besides the computer lab,” Baker said.

Baker also said he didn’t see the extra allocation as a competition and that this year will be the first year Sports and Recreation will ever receive extra money.

The money will not be allocated until the recommendation is approved by the Student Senate.