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Swampscott plans to restore hockey, athletics director outlines user-fee policy and waiver process
Summary
Athletics presenter Kelly Wolfe reported winter-sport honors, said Salem State will provide home ice time so local hockey can return, and explained the district’s user-fee policy: free-lunch families are exempt, reduced-lunch families pay 30% of fees, and hardship waivers are handled by the business office; Beverly’s recent large fee increases were noted as a contrast.
Athletics presenter Kelly Wolfe updated the committee on winter-sports accolades, reported that Salem State has agreed to provide home ice time and that the district plans to restore a JV hockey team with the hope of fielding a varsity squad in a subsequent year, and reviewed the district’s current user-fee structure.
Wolfe explained the fee-waiver process: families eligible for free lunch have user fees waived; reduced-lunch families pay 30% of the fee; families who demonstrate financial hardship may apply for a business-office review and payment plan options. She said athletics fees and gate receipts currently cover most direct athletic costs aside from coaches’ stipends and her administrative salary, and that fees are set to try to balance affordability with program funding needs.
Wolfe reviewed fee structures used by neighboring districts, noting Marblehead and Danvers use per-season tiered fees and Beverly recently adopted steep increases (including a reported hockey increase from $315 to $1,000 per year). She said relatively few families hit the family cap and that the district’s registration system and reminder emails have helped collect fees and manage logistics.
Committee members thanked Wolfe for the presentation and noted that fee structures and financial-waiver processes will be part of ongoing review as budget discussions continue.
