Sandown recreation commission agrees to raise summer camp registration to $35; staff to provide expense report

The Sandown Recreation Commission on Feb. 18 agreed to raise the town’s summer camp registration fee to $35 and asked staff to return to the next meeting with a detailed expense report to clarify last year’s losses.

Becky, a recreation staff member who presented the camp budget, said she reviewed field‑trip pricing and last year’s costs and would supply a week‑by‑week staffing expense breakdown. Commissioners identified staffing as the program’s largest cost and discussed options to reduce subsidies for field trips.

“ I say we raise the registration fee to 35,” a committee member said during deliberations; commissioners reached agreement on that figure and asked Becky to provide the supporting numbers before finalizing details. Staff noted registrations go live April 1, so the timing requires a decision at the next one or two meetings.

The commission also discussed alternatives to raising registration fees, including increasing per‑trip charges (field trips were charged $5 last year) or modestly adjusting weekly fees. Commissioners emphasized avoiding price moves that would deter families and agreed to identify families in need of assistance rather than broadly scrapping trips.

Next steps: Becky will assemble and circulate the expense and revenue comparison, including last year’s staffing costs and total field‑trip revenue, for commissioners to review ahead of the registration launch.