Fees to play sports in the Bridgewater-Raynham, Massachusetts school district will be nearly twice as much as last year and that’s leaving some families with difficult choices.
“Both towns went out for an override and unfortunately failed in both communities. These are some of the unfortunate consequences now of a failed override we’re having to actually face as a reality,” explained Superintendent Ryan Powers.
Family cap eliminated
It’s now going to cost $600 per student per sport, that’s up from $360. The family cap has been eliminated, meaning it’ll cost families thousands if siblings play multiple sports.
“She’s played volleyball, she’s played soccer, she’s played all different sports. It’s going to be discouraging if we don’t get to see her play this year. I guess they’re just going to have to cut back and decide which is their most important sport to play,” one mother said.
Classroom changes
Students who play sports aren’t the only ones impacted. The changes to the athletic fees are in addition to big cuts inside the classroom.
“We’re down about 20 positions at the high school. We’re down about 40 electives from the past year. We essentially wiped out our entire business department, really preparing them not just for college and career but some basic life skills about personal finance,” Powers said.
The superintendent said recent enrollment has increased by about 100 every year, filling middle and high school classrooms with up to 35 students. Parents are worried these changes could mean less attention from teachers, and less time being physically active.
“A lot of this is an outlet for kids, which is huge. Whether it be socially, mentally. That hurts a lot of kids hoping to get scholarships for college,” a father said.
Powers explained middle and high school sports and extracurriculars cost the district about $1 million. That breaks down to about $900 per student per sport, but the agreed upon $600 is to try to keep kids on teams without taking more resources from classrooms.
