BVSD board reviews athletic, activity fees amid equity concerns and wide school-by-school variation

The Boulder Valley School District Board of Education met Feb. 25 for a work session focused on athletics and activity fees, hearing staff explain how district and school-level charges affect participation and equity.

Superintendent Dr. Anderson opened the presentation and introduced Kathleen Sullivan, the district’s legal counsel, and Harry Waterman, the district athletic director, who delivered the fee survey and answered board questions.

Sullivan told the board state law permits districts to collect voluntary participation fees for school-sponsored activities when the fees are “reasonably necessary and related to the cost for which they’re being assigned” and that fees must be used only for the specified purpose and disclosed publicly. She said the board’s earlier 2023 update to policy JN on academic and curricular fees used similar legal principles and included caps and ranges for fees.

“We will look forward to sharing more data in this area with the board at a future meeting,” Kathleen Sullivan said, noting Title IX requirements relate to equitable athletic opportunity but do not prescribe what fees may be charged.

Harry Waterman said the district’s standard high school participation fee is $200 and noted middle schools charge $100 for interscholastic participation. He presented a districtwide inventory showing 40 athletics/activities at the high-school level; 26 are CHASA-designated sports, each assessed the $200 participation fee, while other activities are handled…