School Budget: Stillwater Sports Fees will Rise this Spring

The Stillwater Area School Board last night approved a .

The vote means high school sports will cost between $15 to $60 more than last year to participate in a spring sport. One of the items on the for this fall is to increase fall and winter sports and activities fees.

The new fee schedule considers the cost to run the sport in determining the price, according to . It is modeled after structures in place at schools across the metro area and factors in the length of the season as well as the cost of equipment, coaches and transportation expenses when determining fees.

Rather than charging a flat fee of $150 per sport, new prices range from $165 up to $210. The new fees are listed below:

• Baseball and Softball: $210
• Boys and Girls Golf: $180
• Boys and Girls Lacrosse: $195
• Synchronized Swimming: $180
• Boys Tennis: $165
• Boys and Girls Track: $195

Registration for spring sports takes place in late- February and early March.

As has been the practice for the past several years, athletes who have already participated in two sports will still receive the third sport at no cost.

The increased fees are part of a plan approved by the school board in January to reduce the current year’s budget by $2 million.

Other Impacts of Budget Cuts

In addition to increasing fees for athletics the district will also reduce supply budgets for school buildings and departments, delay the purchase of new textbooks and curriculum for social studies, postpone technology purchases and reduce staff training opportunities this spring.

The district is also restructuring several departments at central services by reducing employees’ hours and cutting support staff. New state laws also allow the district to transfer money between accounts, freeing up dollars in the general fund.

Additional budget cuts for the 2012-2013 school year are expected to be approved in early March.