Schools debate if students should bear full cost when they pay to play

Batavia is joining a host of school districts debating whether students should pay the full cost - however high it is - of playing a sport or acting in the spring musical.

"What is our philosophy for covering its cost?" Batavia School District 101 board member Kathleen Roberts asked last week.

"I've never been a supporter of nickel-and-diming of fees," said school board President Ron Link, about a proposal to raise fees and to add some for activities such as middle school drama programs. "But the game has changed."

"In light of declining revenues the need to recapture a larger portion is becoming apparent," Kris Monn, associate superintendent for business services, said in his report.

The board, like many others, is chipping away at a potential budget deficit for next year.

Play isn't cheapBulldog Pride comes at a cost. School board members learned last week that the cost of running the interscholastic sports for the district's middle and high schools averages $417.58 per athlete per sport.Middle school players pay $75 and high-schoolers $90 to play. Monn suggested raising those fees $45 apiece.The district budgeted $571,349 this school year to pay for coaches, supplies, equipment and contractual services for athletics, plus $152,400 for transportation. It expects to take in $50,000 in ticket sales.This year's budget is leaner than the previous year's, as the board reduced coaching stipends, equipment, supplies and contractual services, including not paying for buses to transport state-qualifying teams to postseason games.At least two board members - Roberts and Jack Hinterlong - thought the fee hikes weren't enough. Hinterlong said a fee should cover at least 50 percent of the cost of the activity."I'm of the mind we have our backs pushed against the wall," Roberts said, noting the Batavia teachers union had just agreed to give up part of its raise and insurance benefits for next year, to avoid laying off up to 60 teachers.If it comes to spending money in the classroom or on a club, the decision is a "no-brainer" for her, Roberts said. She'll favor the classroom.Board member Joseph Purpura, however, defended the subsidies. "There is a lot of teaching that goes on in the extracurricular activities," he said.Not just athleticsSports fees aren't the only ones the district is considering raising. It costs the district $32,000 for co-curricular music and high school drama ensembles (after fees and ticket sales), according to the 2009-10 budget. Elementary students pay nothing, middle-schoolers pay $75 and high school students $90. The district may raise the middle and high school fees $45, and add a $25 elementary fee.The intramural sports fee at the high school would be doubled, to $20 per six-week session. And the district would charge $25 for middle school and high school clubs, except for those that are service-oriented.The Batavia school board has asked for a breakdown of the costs of each specific activity and sport, the proposed fee, and what it would cost to cover 50, 75 and 100 percent of the costs. It next meets April 2.Not just BataviaThe discussion is similar to one conducted last month by the Kaneland District 302 school board, which is also looking to avoid deficit spending. It was considering cutting coaches, the middle school interscholastic sports teams and some high school clubs. Calculations showed, on average, the district was spending more than $800 per athlete for high school sports. Even chess club was expensive, at $356 per participant. Some parents suggested paying higher fees. Ultimately, though, the board merely raised fees, and went ahead with the cuts.In Carpentersville District 300, the board recently capped athletic fees at $300 total per student or $600 per family.In Barrington District 220, the school board recently voted to keep its high school sports/activity fee the same; all students pay a $96 yearly fee. It also declined to trim the budget for club sponsors. Members argued that after-school activities are where some students connect to school, or find lifelong passions. They also wanted "to avoid any further economic hardship for families" during the recession, district spokesman Jeff Arnett said.In Kaneland, residents said activities can motivate kids to get better grades, knowing they can't play on teams if their grades are poor.Like some of the Kaneland school board members, Batavia's Purpura and board member Kristin Behmer worried that increasing fees will price some students out of being able to participate, especially if they are in more than one sport or activity. Fee waivers are available. "It adds up for the families," Behmer said.Some school districts, such as neighboring West Aurora, offer discounts for the second sport a student is in. Others have a family cap.Roberts, though, said it is up to parents to decide what they can afford, and tell their children that, to consider when signing up for activities."That (making choices) is what growing up is about," Roberts said.True20001395Batavia High School seniors Hannah Bishop and Tyler Spitz rehearse the play, "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." The school district is debating whether fees charged for extracurricular activities, such as drama, should cover the entire cost of the activity.Laura Stoecker | Staff PhotographerTrue