<p>Our public HS school board just passed a rule that will make High School athletes pay $50 for each sport they play. Some parents and students think this is outrageous and some think it's okay. This will not affect club sports where the parents/students already pay all the fees and have volunteer coaches. I'd like to hear from anyone who's school has a pay to play rule and how it works. There would be fee waivers for students that could not afford to pay, they would fill out a form similar to the one that used for reduced lunches. While they are starting out with athletics, the idea is that next up will be the clubs. We band parents are hoping that band cannot be touched because we are a graded activity.</p>
<p>All of those rules are already in effect at S's school. That's the only way that the school can afford to offer clubs, sports, etc. </p>
<p>Crew, I think, costs $1,000 a year (and clearly only the wealthy can afford it!). I don't know how much other sports cost. S is not in any.</p>
<p>I think that all clubs have fees. For all I know, this might help pay for the advisor. The fees also cover T-shirts and expenses to affiliate with national organizations. I think that the fees for clubs that S has been in were $35-$50 a year. One club had frequent trips, and the costs for regional trips often were $60,-$125. Frankly, this was more than we could afford to pay every 6 weeks or so!</p>
<p>There are some subsidies available for low income students, but that ends up coming out of $ the clubs raise, and I think that the $ is very limited.</p>
<p>Parents are asked to donate, I think, $15 a year for lab courses that students are taking. If the parents can't or don't pay, however, the students still are allowed to take the courses.</p>
<p>This is a school in a low income area that has a magnet program that attracts a wide range of students ranging from very high to very low income.</p>
<p>The high school here charges $100/sport with, I think, a $200 or $300 limit per child per year. There is also a family limit and reduced fees for those who need them. This started a few years back when the state economy was doing poorly, and the schools started getting less money. Lately almost every year they talk about cutting certain sports. I believe golf is scheduled to be cut totally, and tennis is frequently mentioned as another likely to go. Schools just do not have the money they need, so they have to do something. I don't believe there are fees for clubs, but I am uncertain about that.</p>
<p>We also have a $50 user fee. Waivers are available for financial hardships. Ice Hockey, the most expensive varsity sport at our school, is only partially funded by our HS-in addition to the $50, players pay $400 with waivers available. The $50 user fees were put into effect a few years ago rather than increase the school's athletic budget. People complained at first but it is now pretty much accepted. This is in a very affluent community.</p>
<p>I pay $365 each year so my son can play football at a private school. The fee includes uniforms, equipment, and facility maintenance. The fee, however, can be waived by the school in cases of family financial hardship.</p>
<p>In our state, school districts are at the mercy of their residents passing a tax levy each time the schools need more $$. Some levies are for capital investment (bldg. additions), some are operational (general expenses, staff raises, etc.). When taxpayers don't see their money being spent carefully (or when they are just tired of paying more and more and more in taxes), they vote the levy down. Then schools start cutting anything they can, and usually the first thing is sports. A neighboring school district to us will charge kids $300 per sport per season, starting in Aug. There will be a huge protest from parents of kids involved - most of whom will be able to afford this in the end - and those few who are truly needy will get a waiver.</p>
<p>to play a sport, get discount on dance tickets etc. you need an ASB card.
I believe ASB cards are $50 - $75 depending on when you buy them.
On top of that there are other fees( $10-$20), and lots and lots of fundraising. Our booster club currently has an online auction- and sports boosters is one thing I plan on getting more involved in, as team sports cuts across racial and economic lines. While crew at the local community center is very popular ( and expensive)I like the thought of actually being involved in school sport and getting to know kids outside my daughters grade and peer group.
She also has been having a ball- even though they are way underfunded ( the football team for instance uses pads and uniforms that UW was throwing away- pads don't even fit them), but we are working hard to rectify that.</p>
<p>I'm amazed that there is a school left that doesn't have a fee for sports?! We don't pay a fee for band, but there is a uniform fee (despite the fact that parents are responsible for cleaning) for marching band. $50 is pretty modest even for public schools here, and some of the publics are 80% free lunch</p>
<p>Our high school (middle to lower income public) does not charge for any activities. They do a ton of fundraising, though.</p>
<p>For example, the marching band runs a band competition , and the entire music program does a fruit sale, each of which brings in tens of thousands. Students aren't required to work these, but strongly urged to, and they get discounts on the end of year trips if they do.</p>
<p>all of our organizations do fundraising- but sometimes it is just too much.
Each class has a fundraiser, and it limits community participation to have things seperate, so next year we are going to try to combine a few things.
The senior class has an auction to raise money for graduation, to lower fees for everyone, but while I parent of a freshman attended, most parents have a senior. They did raise a good chunk of money- but by combining the senior auction and a few other fundraisers ( freshman fashion show...) we hope to raise even more money.</p>
<p>I suspect if there was a fee attached to a graded class, there would be ground for a lawsuit. By being graded, its an academic activity and would not provide for equal opportunity for those who couldn't afford it.</p>
<p>Sports teams, outside the traditional physical education class, is a luxury.</p>
<p>Emerald, yes fundraising does get out of hand sometimes. I decided a few years ago not to participate in any of the "fundraisers" that involved buying things like wrapping paper, magazines, baked goods, etc. Rather, I just write a check out directly to the organization or the school. That way they get to keep the full amount, don't have to give part of it to the wrapping paper company. :) What is odd is that the intial reaction of my kids' middle school was confusion about why I wasn't willing to participate in the fundraiser. I actually had to explain to the principal of the school that she earned more this way, than if I bought wrapping paper or magazines that I really didn't need or want. I thought that was truly a sign of fund-raising mania, the inability not to recognize a direct donation was actually worth more to the school than a similar sized purchase of whatever product was being sold. But, oh well.</p>
<p>carolyn at least we haven't had to do fundwraps or any of that stuff- the girls on my daughters track team have organized bake sales that they run at lunch- which are fairly successful ( they have to hold them across the street- because of conflicts with cafeteria union)
We have also had an online auction/car washes and when we had our first parent meeting at the beginning of season, we encouraged those who could to just write a check.
I would rather write a check- while some things I like and buy anyway- like Chinook books which are coupons for goods and services that I buy anyway, and school or other organization keeps half of the cost of book, other fundraisers shouldn't even count as fundraisers the percentage that goes to the school is so small.</p>
<p>Our groups, band boosters, sports boosters, etc. all do fundraisers but that money goes back to the group, not to the school's funds. </p>
<p>Here in Pennsylvania we have a very controversial gambling for school funding initiative that schools must choose to opt in or opt out of by May 31. It's pretty complicated but the general consensus is that the state legislators (once again) are trying to pull a fast one over their constituents. Why is it considered responsible and morally okay to tie gambling to education funding?</p>
<p>My D's high school athletes pay approximately $50 per sport as the money is used to offset the cost of uniforms, supplies transportation etc. They were also a small school. The PA subsidized any one who could not afford to pay.</p>
<p>I think a lot of it stems from the stream lined budgets that the Board of ED are passing to schools leaving very little if any monies for sports and EC activities. I think some times it is not a matter of paying to play as much as it is a matter of paying to help keep a program.</p>
<p>Our school charges $25 per AP IB Class... How about them apples? </p>
<p>Sports are more or less free instead... Hmm, what does that say about Alabama?</p>
<p>our school district does not charge for extracurricular activities - yet. One school board member brings up the topic at every meeting that those who don't pay to play are creating hardships to the senior citizens living on fixed incomes and find it difficult to pay taxes....A study is being conducted now on how much the school district pays in expenses for all teams vs. how much will be "saved" if they institute a fee. Waivers will also be allowed but lets be realistic, will lower income families apply?? With athletics being one rec on the college app, if kids stop participating (due to $) will their chances of college acceptances decline?</p>
<p>My sons play baseball and I can't begin to recall all the costs associated. At least they don't do ice hockey :eek:</p>
<p>There is a "smaller" fee when they play on the regular HS team (around $125-150). But when they play American Legion it is totally self-funded. So, it will cost us $400 for each son. Not only that, we have to of course pay to get in to each game....all 50 of them.</p>
<p>I am shocked reading all of these posts. I live on LI in NY, home of monster property taxes. Our school budget was recently defeated, as were many others in neighboring districts. Even so, I do not know one school who charges for sports, but I may be naive. </p>
<p>This year I had 3 in HS with 7 sports between them. I couldn't imagine having to lay out $1,000 or more on top of the $9,200 I pay in property taxes. (About 5600 goes to the schools.) They are on travel teams as well.</p>
<p>I am curious as to how much you all pay in property taxes.</p>
<p>Cangel, lucky you! No band fees! Here in our district in TX, sports is heavily subsidized while 7 high schools and 14 middle schools share a fine arts budget of barely $120,000. (That includes art, theater, choir and band at the above 21 schools.) We must count on pennies from the principal's discretionary budget as well as fundraising efforts from the boosters. The activity fee and uniform cleaning fees are $75 for girls and $85 for boys (they also have a tux), the girls must purchase a dress, the students with school instruments pay a fee, and the colorguard is self supporting to the tune of $500-$600 each girl each marching season. Then add the cost of the student owned instruments and private lessons. The parents do it because we want to, but it does hurt when we heard complaints from the football players that they had to pay a nominal fee when their uniforms and equipment are provided and the district just spent over a million dollars on a press box for one of the stadiums.</p>