Poll: Should Student Activity Fee Be Scrapped?

One of the big questions facing the as it is whether to end the student activity fee.

The fee calls for students to pay $150 each to participate in sports or marching band, and $35 to participate in clubs. Families with multiple children don't pay more than $500 and exceptions are made for families eligible for free or reduced lunches.

The preliminary budget presented on Tuesday includes the fee, which brings in about $151,500 in revenue. Keeping the fee, the tax levy would increases by 0.81 percent, to $61,319,473. The average township homeowner would pay about $83 more on the school portion of their tax bill, using an average assessment of about $371,000.

Ending the fee, as some board members said they would like to do, would mean the increase in the levy would be about 1.06 percent. The average tax bill would increase by about $92—a difference of about $9—to $8,328.75. (Properties are being revalued and the estimated valuation is based on 2011 numbers.)

Board President Dr. Karen Cortellino said she would like to see the fee eliminated and that she thinks there's strong consensus among the board in wanting to see the budget with out the fee.

PTC Co-President Kim Passaretti advocated for eliminating the fee during the last school board meeting, saying students essentially need to be involved with high school activities for college application purposes, making the fee a "backdoor tax" on a necessary part of high school.

Some parents are unable to afford the fee and are embarrassed to ask for help, she said.

A modified budget is expected be presented for the board to introduce at its Feb. 28 meeting. A public hearing would be held at a later date.