Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Athletics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Bridgewater committee approves athletic-fee increase to $350 per sport with $700 family cap
Summary
After discussing rising costs and comparisons with neighboring districts, the West Bridgewater School Committee voted May 4 to raise the per-sport athletic fee from $300 to $350 and set a $700 family cap; the committee asked staff to explore staggered fees for high-cost sports and club fees.
The West Bridgewater School Committee voted May 4 to increase the district's athletic participation fee from $300 to $350 per sport and established a family cap of $700.
Committee members cited rising costs for referees, transportation and coach stipends and noted the district’s overall athletics appropriation is increasing for FY27. A motion to raise the fee, and to set a $700 family cap, passed by voice vote. Several members said they want staff to return with more granular data comparing fees across neighboring districts and with options to stagger fees for higher-cost sports such as hockey.
Student advisory representative George Barude and other members discussed alternatives to a flat fee, including a discounted price for a student’s second sport (one proposal: keep the base $300 and discount the second sport so two sports would cost $450) to encourage participation while easing the burden on multi-sport families.
The committee also discussed applying a modest club fee for extracurricular activities: one idea floated was a $35 annual club fee (about 10% of the athletic fee) to help cover extracurricular costs. The committee asked staff to collect data on current club fees and bring the item back for a June vote.
The committee’s action is intended to partially offset increased operating costs for athletics; members noted a waiver process exists for families needing financial assistance.
