Holmdel reports high extracurricular and athletics participation; board cites $1 million budget line
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Summary
District figures show roughly 86% of high-school students participate in at least one club or activity and large seasonal participation in athletics; board members described extracurriculars as a central $1 million budget item and a high-return investment in student engagement.
The district presented participation tallies for athletics and extracurricular activities that show broad engagement across middle and high schools.
High school: administrators reported 952 students (approximately 86% of the high school population) participated in at least one nonathletic extracurricular activity; 822 of those were in at least one club and 155 participated in two or more. Athletic participation across seasons totaled 958 participations; the fall roster had 385 students (36.5% of the high school), winter 263 and spring 310, with 514 single‑sport athletes and 222 multi‑sport athletes. Presenters said nearly 77% of students participate in a sport when combining unique athletic participants and extracurricular members.
Middle school: numbers were lower but still significant. The board heard that middle-school participation included 28% in fall sports, 15% in winter and 36% in spring; administrators credited large cross‑country and track rosters and noted the district added a sixth-grade running club to expand access.
Budget context: board members and administrators described extracurricular programming as approximately a $1 million line item in the district budget. Members characterized the programs as high‑return investments in student well‑being and engagement; one board member called them “probably our best ROI.” The board discussed strategies to engage students who do not participate and suggested surveying nonparticipating students to understand barriers.
Why it matters: administrators argued extracurricular involvement contributes to student adjustment and school climate and stressed the district’s intention to maintain offerings despite fiscal pressure. Board members asked for follow-up exploration of outreach to the roughly 14% of high‑school students who did not participate in any activity and for combined metrics that count sport or club participation together for easier year‑to‑year comparison.