Schools
School Committee Nixes Higher Athletics Fees – For Now
Sports fees would haven risen by $50 per sport next year, which was considered a burden to many families.
The School Committee voted unanimously not to raise fees for students who play sports, but left it open to raise the fees by August or cut expenses in the sports program if needed.
The committee has been considering raising the fees by $50 to $300 per year to raise an additional $50,000 for athletic budget needs. The current budget allocation is $185,000.
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Budget Director Ed Cronin said the athletic program in most years costs about $235,000. And if the committee does not raise the fees by August, when football practice begins, the administration may have to cut some games or delay buying uniforms or equipment.
“Things are okay this year,” High School Principal Layne Millington told the committee.
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Committee Chair Jacqueline Kinney said every board member had heard from many people in the community about the fee hike.
“We don't want to make it a burden on families for children to play sports,” she said.
The committee also asked Cronin for an in-depth analysis of activity fees to determine if the current fee of $50 per student per year adequately covered the costs of non-sports activities.
The committee then approved the $27 million budget that will now go to the town for ratification.
