[Tica]

Interesting story in the H-L about a Frankfort non profit chipping in to pay the ever rising fees being charged to high school athletes. I have heard some schools are charging upwards of $350 for football.


http://www.kentucky.com/2011/08/08/18383...ks-to.html

[toussaints]

That's an awesome organization. I understand the importance of athletic fees for some schools, but $350 is absolutely outrageous. Even if that covers all sports that kid plays, thats over 100 per sport.

[Stardust]

I just spoke to a dad whose son plays football for Cincinnati Lakota East. $525 is the school fee for each sport played. Play three sports and you are paying $1600 just to participate.

[Truth]

The practice appears to be a possible violation of the by-laws of KHSAA. Wonder if KHSAA will look into it or practice its usual selective enforcement?

[OrangenowBlue]

I think this is one of the advantages that rural schools have is that many do not charge these fees. Fundraisers pay for it all.

[Stardust]

I think this is one of the advantages that rural schools have is that many do not charge these fees. Fundraisers pay for it all.

Fundraisers pay for what the State funding did not provide. There is no way possible that fundraising can support all sports costs. Campbell County, baseball budget is over $20K to fund all three teams. I have no clue what it must cost for football. There is no way that small schools could fund-raise to cover all expenses without the funding that comes to them from the state. So, we are not talking apples to apples here.

[OrangenowBlue]

Fundraisers pay for what the State funding did not provide. There is no way possible that fundraising can support all sports costs. Campbell County, baseball budget is over $20K to fund all three teams. I have no clue what it must cost for football. There is no way that small schools could fund-raise to cover all expenses without the funding that comes to them from the state. So, we are not talking apples to apples here.

Well I hate to bust your bubble Stardust but you are wrong. I have been involved around the fundraising part of high school athletics for 21 years, first at Whitesburg(which was a 2A school) and then at Letcher Central(which is a 4A school). Every dime spent was raised by boosters. Every uniform bought, every trip taken, most meals paid. Facility upkeep and salaries are the only thing the school pays for. I am getting a little tired of hearing the "state" paid for it. When I know for a FACT it didn't. Some of the smaller sports will be in the red and their debt will carry over but they have to pay it off with the next fundraiser.

[toussaints]

I just spoke to a dad whose son plays football for Cincinnati Lakota East. $525 is the school fee for each sport played. Play three sports and you are paying $1600 just to participate.

That's ridiculous, but knowing all the problems Lakota School District has been going through since the early 2000s, that's not surprising

[OrangenowBlue]

Just talked with one of the coaches and one of the central office employees at Letcher County BOE. They stated that it has been around 20 years since any state funding went to pay for the programs at any school in the Letcher County school district. That the individual athletic programs pay for themselves through whatever means. The BOE pays for the facilities, power bills, and coaching salaries. That is it.

[dd734]

Stardust, if the Campbell County band would give a portion of the concession proceeds to sports programs it would help a great deal. If there were no football or basketball games they would not have concession money to support their band so well. I understand they put in a lot of time on the concessions. The band wants for nothing. Just my belief, they need to give a little back to the sports that give them the opportunity to make all that money.

[Stardust]

^ True, but sports were given opportunities to run concessions at football games and they gave it up. Football used to have the entire concessions, then split it 50/50 and eventually gave up 100% to band.

[nky]

I just spoke to a dad whose son plays football for Cincinnati Lakota East. $525 is the school fee for each sport played. Play three sports and you are paying $1600 just to participate.

That's ridiculous, but knowing all the problems Lakota School District has been going through since the early 2000s, that's not surprising

These fees pay for everything including transportation, coaching salaries, equipment, what ever the teams use including field maintenance. The Ohio schools are different the bulk of their funding comes from local property taxes and when the community doesn't approve a tax the local BOE will cut busing and or extra curricular stuff thus the large fees to pay what the tax payers will not

[mandan]

Similar thread in basketball forum, with interesting comments.