<p>I live in Southern Calif., also extra high property taxes. We pay about 6800 in property taxes, and the students have to pay to play sports. This is what I have forked over for my DD to play Varsity Softball ( JV and Frosh/Soph teams have to pay the same amount)$300 for team fee,$150 for team "bonding" trip, $80 for buses, $56 for car wash tickets, $55 for additional pants to uniform, $20 for coach gift. We were "required" to purchase/obtain advertising for the team booklet ( Which no one but other members of the softball team ever looks at - who would want to advertise there?) On top of this we were required to fundraise - $100 in the fall, kids "required" to mail out solicitations for more $$ or they were told they wouldn't get their uniforms (Already paid for out of team fees??),we had to procure items for the banquet auction, and parents were "invited" to two dinner fundraisers, and we are supposed to fork over $35 to attend banquet. Althogether, this year I have spent $896, and they want to hit us for $20 more for two stupid hats we were supposed to sell. In addition my DD plays travel softball which is very costly. I keep asking how low-income parents pay for this stuff, or am I paying for their kid to play with the high cost of all these fees? I personally was in charge of two fundraisers, we brought in over 3300, the car wash/rummage sale brought in $4500, our team book netted $3000, and we got $5000 in direct donations. If you multiply this out, a program with only 45 girls in it spent over $20,000 for a three month season. The tennis team only charged $150 for the same season and got to keep their brand new Addidas shirts, shorts and warm-ups!</p>
<p>My son (private HS) played football ($400 worth of ads to sell, that no one will buy so we paid most of that; $100 for team camp, $80 for banquet), rugby (club sport, only $75), and lacrosse ($150 + about $300 for equipment). Older son was in band ($250 annual fee + $550 for mandatory competition trip + $1300 for the trombone + private lessons). The school's rationale is that tuition should cover the same things for everyone, so extras cost extra.</p>
<p>I wish our school charged for sports. Instead, they cut the $300K technology budget and built a new artificial turf field and a 50 yard enclosed practice facility. I have to pay for my Ds SAT study guides, calculators, etc. Why shouldn't athletes pay to play.</p>
<p>My school doesn't charge for sports...it just cuts the theatre program instead. I would much rather pay $50 and be able to have plays at school than not. Oh, it also cut 3 teachers this year. But no sports fees, or sports programs cut. We obviously have prioritized well.</p>
<p>Wow...I go to private school and we don't have to pay to play...directly. Obviously, there's costs involved, though. For varsity softball, for instance, we had to pay $80 for our game-day shirts to wear to school, "sliders," or leg guards, sliding shorts, and socks. But that's been the most I've spent to play in the five years I've been on the team.</p>
<p>But most kids on other teams wouldn't have to pay for stuff like that; the athletic department would pick up the tab. Soccer is HUGE and the players basically get what they want as far as new uniforms, etc. On the other hand, we have one set of mesh-type unis in blue (no, we don't even have a different colored jersey for away games) that we've been wearing for three years now and the ironed-on numbers are falling off them. It's pretty sad.</p>
<p>There might be a small amount of dues to pay to be in a club or whatever, but nothing major; $5 at the most. finprof, $250 just to be in band sounds crazy! We have a concert band, and you don't have to pay to be in it. I did have to pay about $200 to go to a competition, though, plus instrument and accessory costs over the years.</p>
<p>There's been talk of charging all students an activity fee like they do at college. The sports parents are really starting to grumble about being picked on. One thing I'm not sure they are aware of though is that the atheltic budget is huge and the only thing that might break even is that they charge admission for varsity football and soccer. Of course, if the marching band and cheerleaders didn't participate at the football games, those parents wouldn't be there and there would go 100 people that pay admission.</p>
<p>Our property taxes are not too bad: I think around $1500-1600 per year. Keep in mind that our state is pretty low on the per capita income compared w/ other states. Oh yeah, we also have BOTH state income and sales tax; including tax on groceries :mad: (I researched a lot of this stuff last year when doing a project on repealing the right-to-work law). Since the state has so few residents, I guess they have to make their money somehow. </p>
<p>We also have the sports fundraisers ad nauseum. But so does every other group/club in the school....often they are all selling the same stuff :rolleyes: (golf, drama, cheerleaders, deca)</p>