School Officials Eye Plan to Raise Athletic Fees

At Tuesday night's School Committee meeting, school and athletics officials outlined a recommendation for increasing athletic fees at the elementary and middle school levels, citing an athletic program deficit.

"Fees were not covering our expenses at the middle school level, and we have to cover that," said Superintendent Paul Ash.

Lexington Public Schools Athletic Director Naomi Martin walked the committee through her recommended changes to the current fee structure, which is presently running at a $58,700 deficit for athletic programs.

Martin laid out a plan to raise elementary and middle school sports fees in an effort to slash the deficit in the upcoming years. Doing so would bring in $110,500 in athletic fees, doubling the amount currently coming.

Under the proposed plan, middle school fees would rise from $100 to $150 for varsity sports, $65 to $125 for junior varsity sports, and $60 to $75 for intramural sports. The district family cap (to limit what one family pays for multiple children to play sports) would rise from $600 to $800 at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

"The family cap is reached too early in the season, and the athletics in the fall are operating at a deficit because of this," Martin said. "The new [cap] adjustments are still a good deal for families."

Martin also recommends raising fees for the elementary Before School Sports program, and breaking the program into three separate, $75, sessions (fall, winter and spring) rather than the single session currently in place. Signing up for all three sessions would cost $200, which includes a $25 discount.

While noting the cost needs to be adjusted, Martin said the Before School Sports program is a beneficial one.

"The increase of physical activity of over 90 minutes a week is great for children, and offers an opportunity for parents to drop their kids off before school begins," she said.

Next, Martin discussed several ideas around gate fees, and with committee input it emerged that the preferred idea would be to abandon all gate fees for sports games, except for the annual Thanksgiving football game.

Such a move would mean another $25 hike to all sports fees, but Martin said making games free to attend has several benefits.

"It will build a sense of community, and not nickel and dime the families who will already see increased fees overall," she said.

Ash noted that gate fees can also work as a deterrent for families of athletes to attend their child's game.

"Parents think it's unfair they pay fees for their students to play," Ash said. "They don't want to have to be charged again to come see them."

Committee Chairman Rodney Cole said he wondered why raising fees at the high school level wasn't being examined.

Martin said those programs are also hurting financially, but extra costs are already falling on the families. Some sports teams – like high school track and field and cross country – currently have the students supply their own uniforms.

Due to the already high costs to parents, high school athletic fees were left off the table for now, Martin said.

Committee Member Margaret Coppe called Martin's plan a "really good idea," before the committee recommended that Martin move forward with working on bringing a formal proposal back to the committee.