Nebo board adopts new student activity fees, drops most gate receipts

Nebo School District trustees voted unanimously March 12 to adopt a revised student-fees policy that raises participation fees and removes most gate receipts at district venues.

District leaders said the fee changes are intended primarily to cover game officiating and to make it easier for families to attend school events without paying gate entry each time.

Superintendent Rick Nielsen and district staff presented the proposed schedule during the March work session and explained the financial trade-offs. The district’s recommended column raises per-player participation fees (for example, baseball and softball by $1), and the administration projected that applying the increases across each high school would yield roughly $55,000–$60,000 in additional revenue per school — an amount the district said would mostly cover officiating costs but would not replace the full value currently received from gate receipts.

Nielsen told the board the likely net gap from eliminating gate receipts could be about $80,000 per high school; the proposed fee changes would close most of that gap. He recommended reserving about $100,000 in one-time district funds this year to ensure programs do not take a sudden cut while the district evaluates the policy’s effect for a year and considers a further fee adjustment after that.

Board members raised operational concerns discussed in the session: how supervision of junior-high students at high-school events would be managed without ticket lines, whether schools would reinvest funds formerly used for ticket-taking into additional adult supervision, and whether concessions or booster activities could offset costs. Administration said principals have discussed options such as repurposing gate-taking staff for supervision and that some schools have already reinvested savings into staffing.

The board debated whether to remove gate receipts for all sports at district venues versus keeping gate receipts in place. Several trustees said the district should either fully adopt the proposed column or leave the current gate system in place rather than attempt a partial approach. After discussion the board approved policy JN (Student Fees) by voice vote.

The board asked the administration to prepare public messaging explaining the rationale and to propose language for a brief statement trustees could read when the change appears on the consent agenda at the regular meeting. Nielsen said the district will treat this as an iterative change and revisit fees when staff can provide full-year data.

The new fee policy includes exceptions tied to state tournament rules: for Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) endowment or state-hosted events the district must follow UHSAA requirements, which may require charging admission. The policy also clarifies the district position on gate receipts for out-of-district events and endowment games.

The board passed the policy in the March 12 meeting; trustees also approved related housekeeping updates to the district fee schedule at the same session. Administration will report back next year with revenue and supervision impacts and will recommend any additional fee adjustments after a 12-month review.