Costs are going up just about everywhere one looks. Even public schools are taking steps to combat rising costs by raising fees.
Those steps in Hendry County mean it will cost youngsters $50 a year to participate in public school sports programs.
The school board unanimously approved the measure Tuesday evening after learning that rural school districts pay an additional $40 more to lure referees inland to officiate games and matches due to the time and gasoline it takes for referees to get from more densely populated communities along the coasts.
Roberto Sanchez, the director of secondary education for Hendry County schools, pitched the idea to the school board. He said there was a trifecta of rising cost when you consider public schools are also getting less funding from the state and the cost of spots equipment is rising along gasoline needed to ferry school children to away competitions.
Families with multiple children participating in sports will get a break.
The idea was initially pitched to have a $75 cap per family per school. If that had been accepted, Sanchez said he believed the fees of between $50 and $75 would bring in about $30,000 a year to the school's sports programs.
In the end, the fees won't generate that much. That's because the board thought a cap of $75 per family period would be more feasible for families, regardless of what schools a family's youngsters went to.
No child will be turned away if a family signs a waiver saying they are unable to pay the $50 or $75 fees. In cases like that, Sanchez said a family member may be asked to work the concession stands to make up for the fee waiver.
"No student would be denied the ability to participate in an athletic team because of lack or inability to pay the fee. We realized that athletics and participation lead is a huge lever to getting kids to do the things that we want them to do academically, that will be beneficial for them, and this this fee is in no issue or form intended to inhibit that participation," Sanchez said.
Superintendent Michael Swindle said school districts across the state are considering implementing athletic fees.
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