Pay to Play Fees Likely to Be Cut

Superintendent John Krupinski is recommending the district cut pay-to-play fees in half and eliminate the general education fee in the 2013-14 school year.

Krupinski last week asked the School Board to consider getting rid of the $60-per-student general education fee, and cutting the pay-to-participate charges by at least half.

He suggested dropping the fee at the high school from the current $400 per sport to $200, and the fee at the middle schools from $300 to $150.

Another option, he said, would be to cut cut the middle school fee even more -- to $100.

The reductions were first mentioned last month, when the district received a $3.2 million windfall in unexpected tax revenue.

Strongsville schools are "probably at the top" of the scale compared to what other area districts are charging to participate in sports, Krupinski said.

Most others have reduced their fees in the last year or two.

The fees were raised for the 2012-13 school year as school officials struggled to cut about $8.5 million from the budget.

Since then "we have had a reduction in the number of students participating in sports," Krupinski said, especially at the middle school level.

Cutting the fees in half would reduce revenue from $350,000 a year to $175,000. Lowering the middle school fees to $100 per sport would mean the district would collect $260,000 less per year than it does now.

The School Board is expected to vote on the issue May 16.