District Exceeds Expectations in Activity Fee Collection

Board of education member Lynne Hurley announced Tuesday that the district has actually exceeded expectations in the amount of money it took in through for clubs and sports at the high school during the 2010-2011 school year.

The district brought in $165,325 in surplus costs through the program, exceeding expectations by about $20,000.

The fee structure was established for the 2010-2011 school year to pay for operating the organizations, and the district was hoping to take in $144,000 to cancel out all the costs and ensure that taxpayers would not have to be contributing funds for these programs through the budget.

Costs associated with the programs included stipends and other funds that would have needed to be paid in the 2010-2011 budget, which was originally rejected by voters in the 2010 elections. The district had been required to cut an additional $1,037,000 from the budget, and that included the elimination of some sports and organizations at the high school if the activity fee program had not been established.

Charges included $100 for sports, and a $25 flat fee for middle and high school clubs that require the stipends.

The district had expected to take in about $146,795, but in counting the money at the end, Hurley said, they actually raised $165,325.