School Board Decision's New Fees Will Raise Booster Club Athlete Dues

How will the recent fee increase imposed by the school board affect students enrolled in youth sports? 

For each of the six sports, they are now receiving an incredibly large sum from the Olympian Booster Club a year that they cannot afford at current costs per child. 

Previously, all youth sport organizations were classified as Level 1, and the past board charged zero fees. 

Later, this was raised to the full Level 1 fees, and now all organizations under the youth sport umbrella are considered Level 2.

This means their Level 1 fees of $750 for a season are now in addition to:

-roughy $762.00-$1,112.70 a home game

-$28.00-$35.02 per hour for security

-$50 per hour for custodial services

-$150 extra if the stadium lights are turned on.

The current budget for Booster Club is around 90K, while their total annual cost is in the $100K range. 

This leaves the Booster Club with 2 options: Either run their budget dry in a year, or significantly raise dues for student athletes. 

What is Olympian Booster Club

The Booster Club is operated independently by district parent volunteers, and is funded by sign-up dues and fundraising.

It hosts the youth versions of football, cheerleading, competitive cheerleading, wrestling, girl's volleyball, and cross country for Jim Thorpe Area students. 

The club is known for the experiences it provides these students as well as the practical skill applications. 

For example, last year the club brought all its students to a pumpkin patch, and even held their end of season banquet at a waterpark.

In our community, a great deal of families are low income. For some of these kids this is the only time they may get to do these things.

Members of their executive committee have even paid out of pocket for students who could not afford the dues to play the season on numerous accounts.

Decision of the School Board

All youth sports organizations were considered Level 1, which meant they were given reduced to no fees to use facilities in the past. 

Now, they are all considered Level 2, there has been a significant increase.  

Other groups included in this are Jim Thorpe Little League, Jim Thorpe Youth Softball, Jim Thorpe Youth Soccer, Babe Ruth Baseball, CYO, and scouts. 

This decision was allegedly made due to the board's budget being in several million deficit, as a way to get a passive return on this issue. 

Before the school board voted to approve the new guidelines, the president of the Olympian Booster Club provided the school board with a presentation where he explained the impact of potential fees to student athletes in the Olympian Booster Club.

To this, a member of the school board directed him to contact board members with concerns in the future. 

Booster Club then emailed the School Board on August 8th, 13th, and 23rd. No response was given by the board until Treasurer Pearl Sheckle-Downs replied on August 23rd.

The Booster Club sent two emails in response to this on August 23rd. One asked for a private meeting with school board president, Dennis McGinley. 

The next says they will get a meeting with the athletic committee, but requests to know who is on it so they can arrange it. No response was received.

The Booster Club found the members themselves. They are Christopher Fischi, Glen Confer, and Pearl Sheckle-Downs: the board Treasurer who sent the original email. 

The following email was sent to the committee on August 27th.

No response has been made to this email, but the same day Booster Club Secretary, Jennifer Albright, made a call to the school district business manager. 

She was told they would most likely not grant a conversation with the athletic committee, and to attend a general school board meeting instead.

Effect on Students

In order for the Booster Club to remain active, they will have to raise their dues from around $80-85 to what will be estimated to be $150-200. 

According to the latest poverty study, out of Carbon County's population of 65,018, 7,672 people live under the poverty line.

This means that raising dues will make sports inaccessible to those who are low income, and could potentially become something only wealthier families can put their children in. 

This will hold many negative effects beyond simply missing out on the experience, sports are a community.

By participating these students make lifelong friendships and connections that they carry. Sports teach them leadership, the ability to work in a team, critical thinking, and how to take loss.

At an open Booster Club meeting on the topic, a parent said "This being a working class town, there are now going to be many kids who will not be financially able to play. I am a strong advocate for the positive influence sports have on kids, I have multiple (kids) in the district and I have seen how much sports programs have helped them."

Overall, poor students will be at a stark disadvantage when they get to school regulated sports.

Solutions

The custodial hourly fees stem from the fact that the Booster Club cannot access some aspects of the facility without a key that the custodian has access to. 

A Booster Club executive offered to get the clearances and take on all responsibility required to become an unpaid district employee to the school board to avoid these fees, but was declined.

An ideal solution would be to reduce these fees back to Level 1.

The clearest way to achieve this right now is to speak at school board meetings. There is one scheduled every third Wednesday of the month at 7pm.

As we work through this issue as a community, make sure to consider both the financial realities facing the school district and the potential impact on students. 

Move with respect and kindness, and treat even those you disagree with as people.

If you return to this article there will be updates posted as they come.

Note: We attempted to reach out to a member of the school board for their side and any corrections but received no response. 

If anything listed is incorrect, please contact us via our email at the bottom of the page. We will revise this article with any input. 

Thank you,

-Kaylee Tate, EIC