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School committee approves fees: ECC increases, no athletics or transportation hike; new club fee structure adopted
Summary
The committee approved a package of fees tied to the FY26 budget: no increases to athletics or transportation for the adopted budget, an increase to Early Childhood Center tuition rates, and a tiered high-school/middle-school club fee structure (tier 1 $100 with $200 cap; tier 2 $50 unlimited). The vote passed 5–2.
The Sharon School Committee approved a fee schedule on March 5 that the administration said aligns with the budget package the committee adopted.
Under the vote the committee approved: no increase in athletics fees or the transportation fee for the adopted FY26 package; an increase in Early Childhood Center (ECC) tuition to $4,931 for the five half-day program and $10,762 for the five full-day program; and a new tiered club fee at the middle and high school levels. The club structure sets a $100 fee for "tier 1" activities (drama, music and similar offerings) with a $200 per-student cap; "tier 2" clubs would carry a $50 fee but allow unlimited enrollment in multiple tier-2 activities.
Ellen presented the fee schedule and the committee discussed scholarship and waiver procedures for students who cannot afford fees; Ellen said no student would be turned away and existing scholarship processes and free-and-reduced eligibility would apply.
The motion to adopt the recommended fees passed 5–2 on a roll call. Committee members who voted no said they were concerned about the ECC increase and the budget implications if different budget options are required; supporters said the package minimized larger athletic and transportation increases while generating some additional revenue.
The administration estimated the clubs fee would raise about $25,000 and the ECC increases about $30,000; those totals were cited when members weighing the vote asked how much would need to be found from other sources if fees were not adopted.
The committee directed administration to ensure scholarship availability and to return with an accounting of fee revenue and fee-waiver usage during the next budget update.
