Westlake staff review pay-to-participate structure; lacrosse to be aligned with varsity fees

Nick, the district athletic director, presented a review of Westlake’s pay-to-participate fees at the March 10 work session and described proposed adjustments the administration expects to bring to the board in April.

"I'm here to talk a little bit about pay to participates," Nick said at the start of his presentation. He told board members that the district surveyed neighboring districts in the Cleveland West Conference and the former SWC to benchmark fees. The athletic director said Westlake’s current model has two fee tiers: a lower tier (commonly $55) for activities that raise much of their own operating costs through fundraising or outside rental (examples given included hockey and gymnastics) and a higher tier (commonly $125) for fully funded varsity sports. Nick said the district proposes moving lacrosse from the lower $55 tier to the $125 tier because it has transitioned from a club to a fully funded varsity sport.

Staff explained the district’s pay-to-participate funds are used to offset salaries and benefits paid as supplementals for coaches and club advisers and to help defray transportation costs; the money goes to the district’s general fund. Several examples of current fees were discussed: club fees typically run $15, Science Olympiad was cited at $35, and the district maintains an annual per-student cap on fees. The presenters and board members used the handbook as a reference for amounts and caps.

Board members asked about equity and access. The athletic director and staff said families who cannot pay are assisted through an application process to district funds and booster support; staff stated no student is denied participation because of inability to pay. The presenters also noted that transportation fees are charged once per year when applicable and factor into the annual cap.

Historically, board discussion in 2013 followed a failed operating levy and helped precipitate instituting pay-to-participate as a means to avoid cutting sports and busing. Presenters said Westlake’s property tax millage rate remains among the lowest in surrounding counties and that pay-to-participate is one element used to keep overall millage lower.

No fee increases to base tiers were proposed at the work session; staff said the primary near-term change is aligning lacrosse with other fully funded varsity sports and verifying that all clubs with paid supplementals are included in the fee schedule. Staff told the board they will return with a packaged set of recommended adjustments and the board would vote on any changes at a future meeting. The athletic director said the changes would apply to next school year and not take effect this year.