Hopatcong BOE Candidates: Pay For Participation on the Horizon

Pay-for-participation was a hot topic in the Hopatcong school district last summer.

The Board of Education spent an hour debating its merits during a July meeting. And while it two board members voted against the idea, preferring to start pay-for-participation as early as 2010.

With three seats open in the April 27 election, BOE candidates Susan Madar, Dr. Richard Lavery and Margret Bongiorno seemed to agree that pay-for-participation was on the horizon, though their opinions differed as to how it should be enforced. Candidate Patricia LoBue didn't respond to emails seeking comment.

Madar, seeking her second term, said in an email she believed a model should have started last year.

"I think that there should be pay to participate," Madar said an an email. "Sports are expensive and some of that cost shouod (sic) be paid by the children playing the sport. In Hopatcong, we have recreation sports and travel sports for our elementary and middle school children the parents pay for these programs, when you get into [high school] it should be no different."

Lavery, looking for his first full term after taking a vacant seat in November, said in an email that he believes the district will have to implement pay-for-participation program.

"We have had several sports and the marching band cut from the budget," he said in an email. "The parents have steped (sic) to to (sic) support them and keep some of the sports and marching band going. They are already paying to play. As the budget gets tighter, more activities will be cut.  Pay for play will spread the 'pain' across the programs so we will have the money to continue the programs and not have to cut them."

Bongiorno said the district would have to consider pay-to-participate along with fundraising.

"I can understand why the athletic director would want a policy in place in case funding becomes an issue and he can ask to have the plan institued (sic) to prevent an interruption in the activities," she said in an email. But she also said a question comes with the decision: "What if a gifted child cannot afford that extra money?"

Madar, Lavery and Bongiorno agreed that fees shouldn't guarantee playing time.

Madar said each student should pay $75-$100 per sport. Lavery said he wasn't sure how much a student should pay, but said he "would hope that the dollar amount would be kept to a minimum." Bongiorno didn't offer an amount, though she mentioned board member Joan Reilly's July motion for $50 per student per sport and $100 maximum per family per season.