Athletic Fee Hike for Westford Students Proposed

Westford schools officials recently discussed raising the student athletic fee from $225 to $260 to cover budget shortfalls.

Some contested the measure.

"Raising the fee is an unacceptable, back-door tax," said School Committee member Angela Harkness.

Superintendent Bill Olsen recently proposed the fee hike to the School Committee as one way to make up for reductions in revenue. Other cost-saving measures he presented included eliminating supplemental standardized testing, funding several positions with federal education job money, cutting $33,000 for Westford Academy freshman sports, and cutting $20,000 for co-curricular activities.

The committee has not yet approved the measures.

Olsen said revenue reductions have necessitated $450,000 in cuts. School systems across the state are grappling with similar problems in the wake of the economic upheaval of the last several years.

"We’re finding ourselves in deeper and deeper trouble," Olsen said.

Raising the athletic fee would cover the $33,000 in cuts to freshman sports at Westford Academy, Olsen said.

"We don't want to see (freshman sports) go," he said. "(They're) an important part of a child's development."

Middle school and high school students are now required to pay $225 for each sport they play.

The School Committee could discuss the proposed fee hike again during its regular meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m.