Impact of District 196 Activity Fees Sparks Concern at Rosemount High

Thom Hoffman first directed the play The Deviners at Rosemount High School in the 1990s. But when the school's Director of Theatre began casting for the current production of the show, the first change he noticed was the smaller number of students auditioning for a role.

"Back then, it wasn't unusual to see perhaps 40 or even 50 freshmen auditioning for a show," said Hoffman. "This time around, we were lucky to get 20." Hoffman said the primary cause for that drop in participation has to do with the activity fees District 196 schools charge students.

Hoffman said that until a few years ago students paid a flat fee for the entire year. "Now they pay a fee for each production, and for many people that is just too high a burden."

In 2000, a freshman student paid $55 to participate in any or all fine arts activities for the year. By 2006, the fee had been raised to $70. In 2009, the District 196 school board approved budget adjustments that raised the fee to $70 for each activity, with an annual cap of $210.  Currently, the charge for freshmen is $50 per activity, with a cap of $350. Students in grades 10-12 pay $70 per activity.

The District 196 administration is aware of the impact participation fees have on students, said 196 communications specialist Tony Taschner. But he points out the district has worked to keep fees as low as possible in a budget environment where every dollar is watched closely.

"Those fees only cover about 40 percent of the district's cost of providing the activities," said Taschner. "And we've heard from a number of parents that while they want to see these activities continue, they also think that the parents of the students participating should be footing the bill."

Susan Kellogg has a stepson attending Rosemount High School and she said the activity fees do place a financial strain on her family. “$350 for the year might not sound like much to some people,” she explained. “But when you’re counting every penny, it has an impact on the family.”

While Hoffman understands the financial challenges faced by the school district, he worries that some students are being priced out of the opportunity to participate in activities such as sports and the arts.

"I had one student come to me before I began casting and he told me he wasn't going to audition for this show," said Hoffman. "He wants to participate in the spring musical and he also has sports and other activities. He and his family just can't afford everything he wants to do."

Taschner admits that it's a problem and said the fees impact the district's middle-income families the hardest. "If a student qualifies for a reduced or free lunch, we waive the fees," said Taschner. "If your family has a higher income, then these fees aren't going to have a lot of impact. But if your family is just getting by, paying the extra fees can be a burden."

Taschner said he expects that booster groups, especially for the district’s various sports teams, will increasingly move to pay the activity fees. "It's an issue that is only going to increase over time, and some of these groups are going to make the decision that they need to raise money to ensure they get the level of participation they are hoping to see."

As for the prospects that District 196 might increase the fees in the upcoming year, Taschner isn't ruling anything out. "If you look at what district's such as Lakeville are doing, one way they dealt with their budget deficit was by raising the fees they charge students."

The District 196 budget isn't facing quite the level of red ink faced by Lakeville, but it is struggling to cover a substantial budget shortfall. "I don't think you can exclude any option in this environment," said Taschner. "I don't know that it’s going to happen. But you are going to see a number of changes in the district over the next few years and this might be one of them."