Board Reviews Athletic Coop Fees and Equity; No Vote to Fund Hockey
Summary
Administrators outlined history and costs of athletic co‑ops (example: girls hockey $1,834 per skater; boys Newington coop $1,450). Board members raised equity and budgeting concerns; no motion was made to subsidize hockey pay‑to‑play fees during this meeting.
Administrators presented the district’s cooperative arrangements for several sports and explained how pay‑to‑play fees have been handled in other Shoreline Conference districts.
Josh LeMay and Andrew Cuckill described hockey costs that families face: LeMay said female skaters were quoted at $1,834 per player, while males in the Newington co‑op were at about $1,450 per skater. The presenters explained that some partner schools cover fees while others require families to pay; Cromwell currently relies on families for hockey fees and the town/district for other cooperative arrangements.
Board members probed the equity implications of subsidizing a single sport and the budget mechanics. Mrs. Russ said she was not in favor of funding coop hockey from district funds, noting the cost is still substantially lower than club alternatives and that some families will continue to play club regardless of school subsidy. The superintendent cautioned that subsidizing fees raises questions about how to budget for unknown participation levels, and whether increased participation would lower per‑player costs or increase transportation and other district obligations.
No motion was made during the discussion to cover all or part of hockey pay‑to‑play fees; administrators said they brought the information to the board as part of the budget planning process and asked for direction before finalizing figures for the 2026–27 budget.
