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District proposes raising student activity fees to cover rising costs; board asks for benchmarking and phased plan
Summary
Administrators proposed increasing elementary activity fees to $25, middle-school fees to $30 and most high-school activity fees to $30'$45 to keep pace with rising costs; the board asked staff to separate fixed overhead from program costs, set a benchmark target and return with a phased implementation and equity analysis next month.
Unionville-Chadds Ford administrators recommended raising participation fees for many student activities, citing sharply rising costs for officials, supplies, insurance, and supplemental contracts.
Student-activities staff proposed a new baseline fee structure: elementary activities from $12 to $25, middle-school activities to $30, and most high-school activities from $30 to $45 depending on program intensity; current family caps (e.g., $300 individual / $600 family) would remain in place and the district committed to waiving fees for families that cannot afford participation.
"Adjusting our activity fees allows us to support the programs we have and still keep access reasonable," the activities director said, providing benchmarking that showed Unionville's proposed levels remain lower than many neighboring districts for comparable offerings. The director highlighted investments since 2021: expanded programs, added staff stipends and overnight/competition opportunities, which have increased the cost base for activities.
Board members asked staff to present a clearer accounting of fixed (overhead) costs versus variable program costs and suggested setting an explicit cost-share benchmark (for example, an agreed target percent of program cost covered by fees) so future adjustments are predictable. Directors discussed either a phased increase or an all-program repricing to avoid repeated catch-up hikes; staff will return with a recommended cadence and an equity analysis that estimates financial impact on families and participation.
No vote was taken; staff will bring a formal recommendation and a proposed implementation timeline to the next regular meeting.
