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Junior Wolverines and other volunteers warn new field fees could price out Ann Arbor youth sports
Summary
Speakers at the Ann Arbor Public Schools budget hearing said a new $150-per-hour field fee and added custodial and operational charges threaten long-running volunteer-run football and cheer programs that serve hundreds of local children, and asked the district to apply incremental-cost pricing and honor board policy supporting nonprofit access.
James Watt, who identified himself as a representative of the Junior Wolverines youth football and cheer programs, told the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board at the second public hearing on the proposed fiscal-year 2027 budget that a recent increase in district charges threatens the teams’ ability to continue serving more than 600 Ann Arbor children.
“We were recently informed that the cost to use those same fields will be increased to $150 per hour,” Watt said, noting the organization has used district fields under a long-standing arrangement tied to board policy 7250. He said the change would translate to “over $30,000 in added expenses for each organization over a single season” and would “threaten the survival of the organization.”
Kyle Lakeville, vice president of the Wolverine Junior Football and Cheer program, described what he called a pattern of inconsistent billing across sites and a sharp rise in line items such as custodial, lighting, gate management and supervisory fees. Lakeville said his program’s total fees rose from roughly $3,700–$4,090 in earlier seasons to estimates that approach tens of thousands of dollars after new charges were applied.
Board materials cited a district policy and state code language that encourage access for nonprofits; Watt urged the board to apply a fee structure that covers only incremental maintenance costs. “We are asking the board and administration to work with community partners on a fair solution,” he said.
Superintendent Chaz Parks responded after public comment and said the district would follow up directly with the teams. Parks clarified that field-rental charges for turf and stadium use are waived for community partners, and that the operational charges cited by speakers are for custodial, utilities and supervisory services. “I'll follow up with the team on their concerns,” Parks said, while noting that the charges are “in line with a portion of our policy.”
Trustees asked staff to provide a clearer breakdown of fees and to pursue follow-up conversations with the youth groups. The board did not take a formal vote on changes to facility pricing at the meeting; trustees voted to adopt other budget items that will shape FY27 revenue and expenses.
What happens next: administrators said they will meet with the Junior Wolverines and other stakeholders to clarify which fees are waived, which are billed as operational costs and whether district practice- and stadium-scheduling rules can be adjusted to preserve nonprofit access without compromising routine maintenance or staffing requirements.
