Extra-Curricular User Fees Could Rise at Oliver Ames

Participating in extra-curricular activities at Oliver Ames High School could get more expensive next year.

The Easton School Committee is expected to discuss an increase in athletics user fees at its April 26 meeting.

Fees for athletics could increase $25 from $125 to $150 per student. The family cap could rise $225 from $375 to $600.

Fees for ice hockey and gymnastics could get hit with an additional $100 surcharge because of a significantly higher cost per player.

Other extra curricular activities in the music and arts would not see the individual fee of $125 rise. However, the family cap could rise from $375 to $500. Last year, only two families reached the family cap in the music department. 90 students met the family cap in athletics, however, according to Gordon.

The fee hike is due in part to a new bus contract, which will cost the School Department an additional $40,000 per year.

"That's $29,000 in change for $25 per kid," Director of School Business Operations Marilyn Gordon said. "[That's a] big part of the deficit. The cap would go up and there would be more from the surcharge."

The potential fee hike was discussed during a School Committee workshop session last week. School Committee members sifted through user fees for other area schools while examining cost-per-player totals in Easton for athletics.

Gymnastics, with only eight members on the team, has the highest cost-per-player at $1,559. Hockey's cost per player is $1,288. The high cost is reason behind the proposed $100 surcharge.

The cost-per-player in football is $793. In boys' and girls' basketball, the cost is $770. For baseball and softball the cost is $612 while wrestling totals $508 per player. For all other sports, the cost-per-player comes in under $500.

In many area towns, user fees are similar or higher than Easton's proposed hikes.

In Stoughton, there is a $200 user fee and a $300 fee for swimming and hockey. Franklin asks for $200 per student-athlete and $175 for indoor and outdoor track. To play Franklin hockey, students pay $450. In Mansfield, there is a $125 user fee with a $400 cap. At King Philip, students pay $165 for cross country and track, $285 for hockey, basketball, gymnastics and golf and $215 for other sports.

Foxborough, however, does not charge any user fees.

The item will be discussed during a first reading on April 26. It will be up for vote at the committee's May 24 meeting.