WINDSOR, CT — Windsor school officials are providing more details about new athletic participation fees after questions were raised during a recent Town Council meeting.
Board of Education member Tracey Zotter said in a community update that Superintendent Dr. Noha Abdel-Hady provided a detailed breakdown of how the district calculated the fees and how much revenue they are expected to generate.
The update comes after Windsor's budget process included cuts to school athletics. Zotter said the Board of Education was required to reduce the athletics budget by $203,000.
To limit the cost to families, the district set participation fees below the regional average and combined them with other operational reductions, according to Zotter's post. Pay-to-play fees alone were not intended to cover the full athletics cut.
Under the new system, Windsor will use two athletic fee tiers.
Tier 1 programs will cost $120 per sport. That tier applies to programs with a cost-per-participant above $360, including examples such as football, basketball and swimming.
Tier 2 programs will cost $100 per sport. That tier applies to programs with a cost-per-participant at or below $360, including examples such as middle school track and flag football.
Zotter said the district calculated fees using last year's data for each of its 35 athletic programs. Direct costs, including coaching stipends and operating costs such as officials, transportation and equipment, were divided by participant counts to determine a cost per participant.
Boys' and girls' teams in the same sport were combined when calculating costs, according to the post. Zotter said that was done to ensure identical pricing across gender lines.
The district projects the fees will generate $70,425 in net revenue, offsetting about 35 percent of the $203,000 athletics cut.
The calculation is based on 784 Tier 1 participation slots at $120 and 141 Tier 2 participation slots at $100. The district then subtracts estimated free and reduced lunch waivers, along with individual and family cap limits.
To cover the remaining gap, the district is also using several non-fee savings and revenue measures.
Those include a $2 ticket price increase at home athletic contests, minimal admission charges for some sports that previously did not charge admission, reduced event staffing, using existing administrators for supervision duties and discontinuing contracted outside providers for strength and conditioning.
Zotter said Windsor has 925 total participation slots across middle and high school programs. That number refers to roster spots, not unique students, meaning a three-sport athlete would count three times.
About 30 percent of participants are estimated to qualify for financial relief through free or reduced lunch waivers, according to the post.
The district said several safeguards are built into the system. Students eligible for free lunch will receive a 100 percent fee waiver, while students eligible for reduced lunch will receive a 50 percent waiver.
Fees will not be charged for tryouts and will only be assessed after a student makes a team roster, according to the post.
The district also set annual caps of $360 per student and $650 per family across all sports and children. Flexible payment plans will also be available, with an interest-free structure allowing 50 percent upfront and 50 percent at mid-season.
Zotter said community members and organizations may also sponsor individual athlete fees through the athletic coordinator.
Additional questions are expected to be addressed during Abdel-Hady's Aug. 25 coffee talk focused on the issue. Zotter said the time and location will be announced.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Windsor Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.