From: "Ronald P. Davis, EdD" <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2013 08:52:49 -0400
Subject: Pay to Participate Program
June 6, 2013
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The Mt. Lebanon School District is implementing a “pay to participate” program for grades 6-12 beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. There will be a “pay to participate” fee for those involved in middle school and high school athletics, marching band and its auxiliary programs, and high school intramurals. The fee structure is:
• High School Athletics – An annual $40 flat fee allowing a student to participate in each and/or every sports season;
• High School Marching Band & Auxiliary Programs - An annual $40 flat fee allowing a student to participate in the marching band/auxiliary program(s);
• Middle School Athletics - An annual $20 flat fee allowing a student to participate in each and/or every sports season; and
• High School Intramurals - A $5/person/event fee to participate in the high school intramural program.
Fee payment can be made through an online system, “FamilyID”, with the link soon to be available on the Athletic Department and/or respective middle/high schools’ websites. Please be advised that students will not be eligible for participation until this requirement is met. If a family is experiencing economic hardship and is unable to pay the fee, this can be indicated in the online system for the administration to review. Also, the fee will be capped at $80/family; this cap, however, will not include participating in the high school intramural program.
As a general principle, fees will not be refunded for students who quit a team, program, or activity; minimally attend practices, events, or games; become ineligible for any reason; or issues related to playing time. Should a student be cut from the program prior to participation, have a severe illness, injury, or unexpected family situation arise during participation that makes further participation unlikely, discussion can occur with the respective building administrator asking for consideration of a refund.
Additionally, the online system, “FamilyID”, will permit each student to complete participation forms which will be available online beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, using an electronic signature feature. Physicals, which require a doctor’s signature, will continue to be submitted in paper form.
In the coming weeks, additional details and direction will be provided by our building principals, athletic director, and/or program leaders. Thank you, in advance, for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The Mt. Lebanon School District is implementing a “pay to participate” program for grades 6-12 beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. There will be a “pay to participate” fee for those involved in middle school and high school athletics, marching band and its auxiliary programs, and high school intramurals. The fee structure is:
• High School Athletics – An annual $40 flat fee allowing a student to participate in each and/or every sports season;
• High School Marching Band & Auxiliary Programs - An annual $40 flat fee allowing a student to participate in the marching band/auxiliary program(s);
• Middle School Athletics - An annual $20 flat fee allowing a student to participate in each and/or every sports season; and
• High School Intramurals - A $5/person/event fee to participate in the high school intramural program.
Fee payment can be made through an online system, “FamilyID”, with the link soon to be available on the Athletic Department and/or respective middle/high schools’ websites. Please be advised that students will not be eligible for participation until this requirement is met. If a family is experiencing economic hardship and is unable to pay the fee, this can be indicated in the online system for the administration to review. Also, the fee will be capped at $80/family; this cap, however, will not include participating in the high school intramural program.
As a general principle, fees will not be refunded for students who quit a team, program, or activity; minimally attend practices, events, or games; become ineligible for any reason; or issues related to playing time. Should a student be cut from the program prior to participation, have a severe illness, injury, or unexpected family situation arise during participation that makes further participation unlikely, discussion can occur with the respective building administrator asking for consideration of a refund.
Additionally, the online system, “FamilyID”, will permit each student to complete participation forms which will be available online beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, using an electronic signature feature. Physicals, which require a doctor’s signature, will continue to be submitted in paper form.
In the coming weeks, additional details and direction will be provided by our building principals, athletic director, and/or program leaders. Thank you, in advance, for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ronald P. Davis, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education
What about band concerts and musicals?
ReplyDeleteDo the coaches and staff have to pay also?
Now we pay taxes for our kids education. And then we pay fees for out kids to attend school (parking). And then we pay fees for our kids to join band or sports.
ReplyDeleteWhere does it stop?
When will we charge teachers to come to work? Or administrators for office space? I mean, if you want to make a salary then you should pay for your space, right?]
Just crazy.
Is there a refund if the kid cannot participate due to an off-campus alcohol policy violation?
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean we won't have to pay the $500 fee associated with lacrosse next year? Or is that still in addition to the this fee?
ReplyDelete8:29 AM, the fee that Dr. Davis mentions goes to the District. I believe the $500 fee associated with lacrosse goes to the association. I don't know if YSA still exists.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry. We tried to scale back the project to prevent this, but we were labeled fear mongers.
Elaine
Well, that field isn't going to turf itself.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps you should not have been in such a rush to get rid of the YSA?
ReplyDelete10:26 why is that, pray tell?
ReplyDeleteSorry folks....fees like these have been in place in many districts throughout the country for years. At my public high school in Southern California we paid $150 per sport...and this was in the late 70s/80s. The teams did the fund raising themselves to offset the costs.
ReplyDeleteSo though I do think the HS project is a train wreck I think going nuts on this one is a bit of the sky is falling mentality. There has been a movement for years for parents to foot more of the bill for extracurriculars. This isn't new...just new to Lebo.
2:33
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree that this has been a practice in many school districts across our land.
It's just that in Mt. Lebanon our Board has decided to spend it money on other things than this. Rather than raising our taxes to pay for these things they hide them in these fees.
Our taxes ought to be high enough to support all of the above. How many superintendent raises will these fees be equal to?
2:33, I agree with 2:40. So what if this was the practice in California in the 70s/80s. I could say in the 60s that my school district supplied each football player with cleats, pants, full aray of pads, physical, dentist fitted mouth guard. Plus, full practice uniform. They also laundered everything!
ReplyDeleteShould your example be the bench mark or mine?
Maybe rather than raising more taxes and fees we go back to those days where everything was supplied. It worked for decades.
But seriously, 2:40 is correct. The fees are just to deaden the senses and hide the pain.
In the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, etc., etc., student parking for instance was free. What changed that this year the students had to reimburse the SD $50 for a slab of asphalt to park their car on... that exist whether the student pays $50 or not. Plus in one year they figured they could get away with $75 in 2013-14. Next year $100?
Maybe next year the teachers will require students to buy teachers' personally authored textbooks like they do in college.
The district is raising their expenditures by $2,000,000 average over the last two years... and that still isn't enough! They also tack on nickle and dime fees, and incorporate a $6 million fund raiser to feed the beast
Are these kids for all the massive increased spending any better educated than the graduates from the 60s, 70s or 80s?
Here's a suggestion... and yeah,I know drop the fixation with student parking fees... because it's not a big deal!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's test to see how much of a big deal it really is! Usually, people that pay extra fees for anything over and above the usual get preferential treatment!
So lets do the same in the parking lot. The most convenient spots go to the people (students only students) that pay $75 to park. The free parkers get what is left.
You'll soon find out what a big deal this silly issue is!
5:05 - I like your idea. Let the students have the spots close to the building and the teachers and the administrators can walk unless they pay more - a lot more!
ReplyDeleteNo, not a lot more, let's keep it fair. You want to park in the preferred spots you buy a preferred parking permit... at $75 a pop.
ReplyDeleteThis way the teachers contract doesn't get violated so they can't file another grievance or go on strike. I sincerely doubt that their are any specifications dictating exactly where on the grounds the teachers have to park.
If you charge the teachers to park or change their spot they will file a grievance based upon Past Practice. Then we have more legal fees but so does the union.
ReplyDelete12:31, We can't afford Past Practice, especially PSERS and OPEB.
ReplyDelete