School Committee Considers Raising Sports Fees

The proposed fees are part of the 2012-13 school budget, which goes to a public hearing at the high school in March.

  The School Committee is considering raising the high school sports playing fees by $50 next year to $300. The fees would remain capped at $1,250 a year per family. And families that can demonstrate they cannot afford the fees will be reviewed on a case by case basis by High School Principal Layne Millington. The fee increase would generate the $30,000 the athletic department says it needs because the current budget of $185,000 is not enough to cover the cost of running the sports programs, including four new varsity sports, Budget Director Ed Cronin told the committee. Several years ago, the athletic department budget was cut by $50,000. Cronin and Millington said the athletic budget has had to be subsidized for several years. The …

•  11 Comments
• Photos (1)

Big Blue Sports

Poll: Do You Support Sports Fee Increase?

The proposal to boost fees by $50 would cover the athletic programs' funding shortfall.

The School Committee is considering raising the high school sports playing fees by $50 next year to $300. The fees would remain capped at $1,250 a year per family. And families that can demonstrate they cannot afford the fees will be reviewed on a case by case basis by High School Principal Layne Millington. The fee increase would generate the $30,000 the athletic department says it needs because the current budget of $185,000 is not enough to cover the cost of running the sports programs, including four new varsity sports, Budget Director Ed Cronin told the committee.

• Photos (1)