Andover Considers Raising Fees For Student Athletes

ANDOVER, MA -- Andover High School Athletic Director Bill Martin is proposing increased student activity fees for student-athletes next year. In a June 1 memo to Principal Philip Conrad and Superintendent Sheldon Berman, Martin proposed an increase to $450 from $380 for the annual athletic fee, as well as a one-time, $50 fee for athletes that play sports that competes at a non-Andover School venue with a facility fee. Martin's proposal also calls for raising ticket prices for basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and wrestling to $7 from $5.

The Andover School Committee is expected to consider Martin's proposal when it meets Wednesday evening. In his memo, Martin said the one-time fee structure would make it easier to predict revenue fees, while also acknowledging that the fees would be costly for students that only play one sport in a school year.

At the same time, the annual fee may encourage more students to play multiple sports, as there would be no additional fees to do so. The one time $50 fee would affect students on the boys and girls swim teams, the boys and girls skiing teams and the boys and girls ice hockey teams.

The increased event ticket prices would increase revenue for sports that current charge for tickets by as much as $6,500. The new event fee structure would also mean tickets would be sold for events that are currently free, including field hockey, girls’ ice hockey, boys’ and girls’ volleyball and wrestling. Ticket revenue for those sports are estimate to generate an additional $7,500 to $9,000 in additional revenue.

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Photo by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).