RICHMOND - Pay-to-participate fees for athletic and nonathletic activities will be coming to the Edison Local School District next school year.
Board members on Tuesday approved the amounts and monetary caps for those activities dependent on the number of children a family has involved.
For example, Superintendent David Quattrochi said that one child will cap at $500, two children at $750 and three or more children at $1,000. He said those figures are for students in ninth through 12th grades. Breaking it down further, Quattrochi said the first sport will cost $250 for a student to participate; the second, $150; and the third, $50.
He also said seventh- and eighth-grade sports will be cheaper, with the first sport being $150 for a student to participate; the second, $125; and the third, $25.
Quattrochi noted the fees will be uniform across all sports.
For nonathletic activities, such as choir or band, the costs vary a bit, Quattrochi said, mentioning band for ninth through 12th grades will cost $125 and choir will cost $70. Again, the fees will be lower for seventh- and eighth-graders.
Quattrochi also said band will become a nongraded activity with the switch because there was concern among band parents regarding charging for a graded activity.
In addition, the district has moved to cut all freshman sports teams, but will retain all varsity and junior-varsity teams at the high school.
The move to pay to participate comes after the district's proposed 9.45-mill continuous operating levy failed in the March 6 election.
Pay-to-participate fees are just one part of the budget recovery plan approved by the board in February that aims to save the district the needed $1.5 million in order to operate out of deficit.
The budget recovery plan still will include cuts to certified and classified salaries and wages, transportation and consumable supplies and book fees.
"It's unfortunate that we have to do this, but we're going to maintain quality programs and activities. They will all still be available. Our goal is still to provide the best quality of education, whether academic or extracurricular," said Quattrochi.
In other matters, Quattrochi said Ohio Board of Education President Debe Terhar visited Edison schools on Monday.
"She visited and took a tour of all of our schools. She was here from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and following the tour, I invited all of the district superintendents for a roundtable discussion with her about the pertinent issues we face in education," said Quattrochi.
"It was an honor to have her visit, and she seemed impressed with what we're doing with our pupils at an early age," he said.
The board also:
Approved the tentative graduation list for Edison High School.
Approved a recommendation to advertise for auto, property and liability insurance.
Approved the national school lunch and breakfast nutrition standards.
Approved a release for Phillip Rawson, for transportation purposes only, from Indian Creek for the 2012-13 school year.
Authorized membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2012-13 school year.
Approved a contract with A+ Anywhere Learning Systems to provide services for the Edison Computer and Technological School.
