Commentary; Posted: 3/3/04

Itís time to put an end to school activity fee hikes

Itís time for parents to pay attention and stop school boards from taking action to increase activity and athletic fees for high school students beyond the their current levels.

Once again, during this budget-setting time, school boards are considering saving money by eliminating activities and charging more to play sports, to lead cheers to debate and play in a band.

Thatís the case in Forest Lake where school officials are planning to cut $2 million in general fund spending. While the district will save major chunks of money by cutting 25 teaching positions, steps like eliminating the cheerleading programs and raising activity fees will get consideration.

As a result of activity fees that are now charged, fewer students are participating in extracurricular activities and athletics. For example, Anoka-Hennepinís school board has just learned that 704 fewer students or 10 percent are no longer participating in athletics and non-sports activities, since fees were boosted.

In the Anoka-Hennepin district, it costs $318 per player for hockey, $332 for basketball, $290 for football and $234 to be a cheerleader. In the Twin Cities Metro area, other sports range from $100 to $300 per player.
Other school districts have noticed some decline in participation. Donít worry about the stars and the varsity players as their parents seem to have the money. But be concerned about those parents who donít pay the fees because they fear their kids will be sitting on the bench. These kids, however, may need the sports, arts, and forensics more than the others.

Whatís maddening is parents who know the value of participating in athletics and curricular activities sit silently on the sidelines and let school boards continue to raise fees and eliminate seventh and eighth grade and junior varsity programs.

Itís time parents of middle school and senior high school students tell school boards they favor protecting sports, drama, choirs and newspaper staffs in all grades. Bring back the seventh and eighth grade and junior varsity programs. Tell board members you favor the values that come with competing on teams.
Tell them one study shows that participating in co-curricular activities is the only predictor of future success. Tell them your kid would have dropped out of school had it not been for the sports programs.
Inform them this is a poor time to cut out athletics and conditioning of all kinds when the medical community is concerned about overweight teenagers.

Board members will tell you money is tight and ask you where they should cut?

Understand that most districts set aside an undisclosed amount for salary increases for all school employees, Tell them to use some of that money for extracurricular activities.

Most employees will understand that preserving these sports and activities is important for kids, particularly in the suburbs where there is little for kids to do after school. Weíre talking about 1 percent of the total budget that goes to fund athletics and these activities in most school districts.

One can argue that the real problem is the Minnesota Legislature which should give more funds to schools. To its credit, the Legislature last session did not cut the basic aid for students.

Another unspoken spender is funding for special education. Millions of local dollars are spent to help pay for unfunded mandated special education programs.

Cutting school budgets and programs is difficult for school board members, but unless they hear otherwise they will continue to raise the fees for kids to play athletics and be in other so-called extra-curricular activities. In some ways these programs are as important as the curricular programs.

Elected school board members are the publicís only recourse to stop this trend. Most taxpayers prefer that these athletic and extra activity programs be fully funded. School boards need to hear that message. ó Don Heinzman

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