The Board of Education Thursday apologetically proposed a “pay to play” policy that will require all athletes and some club members to pay at least $100, but no more than $700, to participate each year.
The policy will be reviewed, and possibly tweaked, by the board’s policy committee before approval.
“What you’ve seen tonight is probably what’s going to happen, but it could be modified,” said Board of Education chairman Tim Walsh.
The plan keeps all sports and activities alive, but sets a fee scheduled for students to participate.
The Details
The plan could save the district $366,750, according to Paula Ellis, a member of the athletic subcommittee who presented the plan on Thursday.
Fees to participate in sports include:
- $500 for hockey
- $350 for all other high school sports
- $200 for all Shelton Intermediate School sports
- $100 for weighlifting
- $100 for activities such as drama, band, and the robotics team.
The “pay to play” policy sets a limit at $700 a year for each family. That means if a family has two students playing hockey, they will only pay $700, instead of $1,000.
Or if one student plays multiple sports, the fee won’t exceed $700 per year.
The proposal also gives discounts to students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Students who get free lunch won’t be charged for sports, Ellis said, while students with reduced lunch will only pay half.
“We’re keeping every team and coach as it is with this scenario,” Ellis said.
The payment will be due at try-outs, Ellis said. Students who don’t make the team will have their checks returned.
11 Teachers Spared
The Board of Education also rearranged some other budgets this past week to find another $563,000 to reallocate toward teacher salaries, according to finance director Al Cameron.
The board cut $135,000 from its technology budget and reduced maintenance and building repairs budgets.
The measure spared an additional 11 teaching positions, on top of the 10 the board found money for at last week’s meeting.
The board last week also found money to save three administrators and one secretary position.
With the extra teaching positions saved, the school class sizes will likely range from 24 to 28 students, instead of 27 to 32 students per class, as originally expected, according to Superintendent Freeman Burr.
Reaction
Ellis said the proposal was bittersweet, because it saved the district money, but was not the path the board wanted to take.
“All of this money is getting put on the backs of the high school parents and the SIS parents who want their children to participate in extra-curricular activities,” Ellis said.
The plan also fails to gradually introduce the fees, where other schools with similar policies have eased in the fee schedule, Ellis said.
Meanwhile, some parents said they accepted the need to pay for sports, but blamed the situation on the Board of Aldermen and the mayor for not giving the Board of Education the amount of money it requested.
“It was a clear, concerted attack on the Board of Education,” said parent Alexandria Wong. “And in the process, they dragged in the entire town.”
