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The budget crunch in PA has the School Boards looking at pay-for-play. What is your experience with it? How has it effected the high school teams?
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We have had "pay to participate" for several years now. The cost for middle school pay to participate is $200 for the first sport, $150 for the second sport, and $100 for the third sport. I'm pretty sure there is a family cap of $1200. I recall that dd had 15 girls on her seventh grade volleyball roster, 12 currently on her seventh grade basketball roster and I have heard that there will be between 14-16 on the middle school softball roster (combined 7th & 8th grades).
Prior to the season starting for each sport, parents were required to attend a meeting where the AD and coach explained that "pay to participate" meant that your child can practice with the team and travel to away games but there was no guarantee of any playing time.
I am not sure if the fees have kept any kids away.
Prior to the season starting for each sport, parents were required to attend a meeting where the AD and coach explained that "pay to participate" meant that your child can practice with the team and travel to away games but there was no guarantee of any playing time.
I am not sure if the fees have kept any kids away.
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Once it starts, it never stops. Once it goes up, it never goes down.
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We've had pay to play for atleast 8 years now and ever since they started it, we struggle to field teams and are not competitive anymore. We used to win our leagues and produce alot of collegiate athletes for the size of our school, now our teams are a joke and we are no longer even in a league. This is for all sports, not just softball. Who wants to pay $700 for 3 months of ball with a teacher coach who has no business coaching a softball team???
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Ours is a bargain considering what will get posted. Avon's is $100.00 for middle school regardless of how many sports you play. If you are only one sport, then find a second to get money's worth. The high school is $200.00 for all sports. The ceiling I believe is $300.00
Like fanandfun stated, I don't think it has kept the kids from not playing. What I do know is last year some parents bickered to the coaches about playing time and the fee. I would have loved to hear the coaches. Those girls who weren't getting playing time last year missed practices and off season (lifting and running) training. Odest dd told me those same girls hasn't missed the off season training this year. It will make for an interesting season to say the least.
Like fanandfun stated, I don't think it has kept the kids from not playing. What I do know is last year some parents bickered to the coaches about playing time and the fee. I would have loved to hear the coaches. Those girls who weren't getting playing time last year missed practices and off season (lifting and running) training. Odest dd told me those same girls hasn't missed the off season training this year. It will make for an interesting season to say the least.
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Those that have went pay to play in this area, are lucky to field a JV team. It destroys most schools.
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Our school hasn't gone pay to play, however we had to pay a $60 "transportation fee" if i remember right for basketball.
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The situation described above would be normal at most schools.
As far as fees keeping kids away, most schools have a contingency plan with a group or organization to help those kids from families that just can't afford the fees. I call them "unsung heros" for lack of a better term as they quietly go about their business. In most cases it may take a child or parent to make them aware of the situation .
As far as fees keeping kids away, most schools have a contingency plan with a group or organization to help those kids from families that just can't afford the fees. I call them "unsung heros" for lack of a better term as they quietly go about their business. In most cases it may take a child or parent to make them aware of the situation .
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I endured "pay to particiapte" for all four years. $250
I don't think it affected our quality of team. Those who want to play will find a way...
I don't think it affected our quality of team. Those who want to play will find a way...
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My school district has pay to play but my dd is only 10 so I haven't had to deal with that yet. Our jr high fastpitch team is now club ran through the rec program. From my dd's rec fastpitch team we had 4 of 13 girls enrolled in private schools that wouldn't had left if it weren't for the multiple levy failures. It seems they are always searching for a new varsity coach for some sport. Our youth programs aren't allowed to use the building after school hrs so all the local rec signups are at a church. Then there was the state minimum bussing that was fun. Other than that it wasn't ever really a problem.....
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Out of curiosity for those of you that have pay to play, what is the average tax for a $100,000 home?
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Mine is around $1,000.
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Thanks John, ours is about 20% more than that and we (as of this levy) don't have pay to play but they keep the threats coming
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We have the threat looming here, AFTER we just had a new teachers contract that gauranteed the teachers a 3% raise per year for the next 5 years, re-instated a "teachers first" policy for coaches, and a $5 co-pay for medical visits..... I will no longer support a school levy even with 2 kids in the system for another 7 years.
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One school I am associated with (DI):
$50 for first sport, $100 if you play two sports, $150 if you play three. Fifty+ girls tried out for softball last spring. We had a V, JV, and Frosh teams. Varsity had a winning record while the underclass teams were a combined 38-3.
Second school I am associated with (DIII):
No pay to participate. Varsity losing record, no JV or Frosh teams for two years. This year there is a good chance of getting enough girls for a JV team and the Varsity team should be much better.
I'm not sure you can make any correlation to any of this. Girls will find a way to play if they want to and make excuses not to play if they don't.
$50 for first sport, $100 if you play two sports, $150 if you play three. Fifty+ girls tried out for softball last spring. We had a V, JV, and Frosh teams. Varsity had a winning record while the underclass teams were a combined 38-3.
Second school I am associated with (DIII):
No pay to participate. Varsity losing record, no JV or Frosh teams for two years. This year there is a good chance of getting enough girls for a JV team and the Varsity team should be much better.
I'm not sure you can make any correlation to any of this. Girls will find a way to play if they want to and make excuses not to play if they don't.
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We pay $495 per sport for "Pay To Participate" with no multi-sport break. I don't know about other sports, but it did not appear to affect volleyball, as we had as many kids try out as we normally did. Concerning softball, rumor has it that the numbers will be close in order to fill a Varsity and a JV team if you listen to the kids. I guess we'll find out in about a week and a half.
Len
Len
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Our pay to play this year was $250 per sport per kid, no family cap. Since our most recent levy failed, they have made sports "self sufficient" so the pay to play fees will range anywhere from $550-$900 depending on the sport. Both of my daughters are 3 sport athletes. The estimate for volleyball and fastpitch next year is about $650 per athlete per sport. Track is a little less but not much. I hate to take the high school expirence away but I just don't know how I will be able to do it financially. It will be interesting to see the inpact of this in the coming years.
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$1300.
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*step up on soapbox*
"Pay to participate" is just another symptom of a flawed education funding system.
Problem #1:
Look at the disparity in suburban school districts around Columbus. Some are doing just great and growing, while others are about to fold. Who loses? The innocent children who are beholden to a government mandated education, but happen to live with lower income parents in an area with low property values.
Problem #2: (The most difficult)
Face it - quality education is motivated by parental involvement. Parental participation at "meet the teacher night" at any particular school speaks volumes. However, regardless of oblivious parents, if the system does not educate these current children about the "importance of education", they are destined to repeat the cycle.
Problem #3:
Funding - actually not really a problem, because everyone can see the school districts that are succeeding and how much they spend. Take an average of per-student spending and voil?! SPECIAL NOTE: No amount of funding will solve #2 - you just can't "buy your way out of stupid". But by having an adequate level of funding, teachers have more resources to break that cycle. Don't blame the teachers for the REAL problem - lack of parental involvement. Why is it that you never hear complaints about teacher salaries/bennies from Dublin, Olentangy or New Albany?
A government mandated public education will never work unless it's funded on a per-pupil basis. I think most folks know why property taxes are used for the funding...
What's next for lower income districts? "Books Fee", "Heating Fee", "Building Maintenance Fee"...
*step down from soapbox*
"Pay to participate" is just another symptom of a flawed education funding system.
Problem #1:
Look at the disparity in suburban school districts around Columbus. Some are doing just great and growing, while others are about to fold. Who loses? The innocent children who are beholden to a government mandated education, but happen to live with lower income parents in an area with low property values.
Problem #2: (The most difficult)
Face it - quality education is motivated by parental involvement. Parental participation at "meet the teacher night" at any particular school speaks volumes. However, regardless of oblivious parents, if the system does not educate these current children about the "importance of education", they are destined to repeat the cycle.
Problem #3:
Funding - actually not really a problem, because everyone can see the school districts that are succeeding and how much they spend. Take an average of per-student spending and voil?! SPECIAL NOTE: No amount of funding will solve #2 - you just can't "buy your way out of stupid". But by having an adequate level of funding, teachers have more resources to break that cycle. Don't blame the teachers for the REAL problem - lack of parental involvement. Why is it that you never hear complaints about teacher salaries/bennies from Dublin, Olentangy or New Albany?
A government mandated public education will never work unless it's funded on a per-pupil basis. I think most folks know why property taxes are used for the funding...
What's next for lower income districts? "Books Fee", "Heating Fee", "Building Maintenance Fee"...
*step down from soapbox*
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Indiana does a funded on a per-pupil basis. Kids can go to any school they want to and the money goes with them.
I dont pay a fee to have my kids play sports at school ;&, although it might have to do with the fact i am paying $10,000 per kid to attend the school in tuition.. x3 kids.
And yes I am BROKE
I dont pay a fee to have my kids play sports at school ;&, although it might have to do with the fact i am paying $10,000 per kid to attend the school in tuition.
. x3 kids.And yes I am BROKE
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