Fees reduced for hockey, multi-sports

By Patrick Anderson
Staff Writer

August 28, 2008 10:47 pm

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Before 137 student at Gloucester High School yesterday painted, weeded and cleaned their way to lower sports fees for the coming season, the School Committee cut those fees for hockey players and multi-sport athletes.

After hockey parents over the summer bristled at paying $475 per child for the season — the result of a 116 percent increase intended to balance the budget — the committee knocked those fees down to the same $302 charged for the majority of other sports, including football, tennis, golf, gymnastics, field hockey, baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, soccer and lacrosse.

Track, both indoor and outdoor, and cross country, will remain $205 per child.

In addition, students playing a second sport, instead of paying the full fee for that sport, will now pay a flat $125 for each additional sport. For example, a student playing hockey, football and outdoor track would pay $552 in the new system instead of $982 under the old system.

To pay for those reduced fees, the committee changed the system for granting waivers to families for financial hardship from coach discretion to a system based on eligibility for the federally sponsored free and reduced school lunch program.

Under the old system, coaches could waive fees for athletes entirely or at a variety of rates.

In the new system, students who qualify for federal reduced price lunch will pay $120 for track and cross country and $175 for the remaining sports.

Students who qualify for reduced price lunch will pay $75 for track and cross country and $100 for the remaining sports.

At O'Maley Middle School, track, basketball, field hockey and cross country will cost $86 per season full price, $50 for reduced lunch students and $30 for free lunch students. Ice hockey will cost $275 full price, $160 for reduced lunch and $90 for free lunch.

To qualify for free and reduced lunch, parents must fill out an application available from the school food service department.

The committee had considered placing a cap on the total amount a family could pay in fees, but decided against it.

Hockey fees had been the most expensive because that sport costs the most to run, but parents argued that if admission revenues from hockey games were taken into account, the sport was on a similar cost footing with others.

The new waiver and fee structure is the result of an extensive financial analysis conducted by Marilyn Reid, the district's chief financial officer.

"There was concern that the waiver system was more subjective," Reid said. "Going to a formula that is a federal standard, that seemed to get the coaches out of the middle and be as fair as possible."

Meanwhile, at the high school, the first athlete "Work Day" sponsored by the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association was drawing better than expected interest and enthusiasm.

"I think everyone was excited," GFAA co-President Richard Wilson said. "We would have been happy if 20 came. Now we are going to plan another one."

The work day gives students a chance to earn $10 an hour off their fees for doing cleaning and maintenance work at school athletic facilities.

The Fishermen Athletic Association has pledged $10,000 so far to fund the program and is intending to contribute more during the year. The organization is in the middle of an aggressive fund-raising drive.

High school junior Jeff Lane, a member of the football team, said he was happy to put in a little work at Newell Stadium.

"It's not like working for nothing; the money goes back to the schools, sports and us," Lane said.

Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com.

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