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After debate, Putnam board sets one‑year athletics fee at $200 for non‑enrolled/scholarship students
Summary
Following public comment and staff explanation of Senate Bill 538, the board voted unanimously to set a one‑year per‑activity fee of $200 (plus a $50 application/setup fee, waivable for families already enrolled in district academics) for non‑enrolled or scholarship students participating in district athletics; staff will post details and review implementation.
After lengthy public comment and discussion, the Putnam County School District board voted unanimously to set a one‑year athletics participation fee of $200 per activity for non‑enrolled or scholarship students, with a nonrefundable $50 application/setup fee that can be waived when families already participate in district academic offerings.
Assistant Superintendent Miss France explained the change responds to Senate Bill 538 (effective July 1), which permits districts to charge non‑enrolled participants and caps fees at no more than $400 per activity. She said the district initially proposed a flat fee and a $50 setup fee; scholarships such as PEP, FTC and FES variants can be used by families to pay those fees and the funds are not available to families until September, so the district will not collect the $200 until families have access to scholarship funds. "The district is authorized to charge no more than $400 per activity... we are requesting $350 for each activity" was Ms. France’s initial explanation, and the board subsequently modified that to a $200 per activity rate for the coming year.
Public commenters, including Colton Fraser representing several homeschool families, warned a $350 fee could be prohibitive for households with multiple athletes. Athletic directors and coaches described program costs — officials, transportation, and field maintenance — and urged the board to consider impacts on budgets and student access. Board members debated options including tiered fees by sport, discounts for additional sports, short‑term subsidies, and whether the district should aim to match neighboring counties’ practices. Ultimately the board adopted the $200 rate for this year, directed staff to post the updated fee structure on the district website, and instructed staff to document waivers and refund rules (the $50 application is retained for processing and will not be refunded if a student makes a team and later quits).
The motion passed unanimously; no roll call with named vote tallies was recorded in the transcript.
