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Families of athletes in USD 204 may see an increase in fees next school year.

During Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, board members discussed a possible increase to athletics fees as one of several ways the board is trying to cut corners and offset the series of cuts the budget received in 2009.

Superintendent Robert Van Maren suggested two graduated pay scales for Bonner Springs High School and Clark Middle School. Per athlete per sport at the high school the pay scale would be $100 for non free and reduced lunch students, $50 for those students on the reduced lunch program and $25 for those on the free lunch program. At the middle school, the fees would be $50 for those non free and reduced students, $25 for reduced and $10 for free.

This is a significant increase over the $25 per student per sport, with a maximum of $100 for families with students in multiple sports, the district currently charges for athletics participation at both schools. Families of free and reduced lunch students, Van Maren said, currently aren’t charged anything by the district to participate in sports.

Van Maren said the increase would bring in an additional $50,000 that would help to continue to fund already existing sports programs.

“I know it’s a hardship on everyone, but the bottom line is that the state’s going to continue taking money away from us, and I think everyone’s going to have to feel this hardship,” Van Maren said.

Several board members questioned the possible increase, saying there was a possibility families of free and reduced lunch students simply wouldn’t be able to afford the extra bill. Activities such as sports, member Ray Cox said, were an important part of the entire educational package.

“This is one of the things we’ve got to deliver, because this is part of education,” Cox said.

Van Maren invited the board’s feedback and said he would continue talking with districts in the area to find out what the best course of action would be. He said the discussion of what to do about sports increases could continue all the way into April.

More of this story can be found in the Jan. 7 issue of the Chieftain.

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