Audio By Carbonatix
Remember when it took only a little weight training and a successful tryout to join your high school football team?
Well, several Valley school districts have decided that raw talent alone is no longer enough to make the squad, and are charging “activity fees” for each sport. The fees aren’t small either.
Several school districts already had small fees in place, but given the budget cuts that have hurt schools all across the state, many districts have upped the fee fairly substantially.
Paradise Valley charges students $200 per sport, a $50 increase from last year.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
“I wonder why? Why do we have to keeping paying more? Isn’t $150 enough? Isn’t $100 enough?” Paradise Valley parent James Cullum says to CBS 5. “I have one [child who] plays basketball, another plays football.”
The Arizona Interscholastic Association oversees high school sports in Arizona and conducted a study that found the average activity fee at public high schools is $50, and $150 at a private school.
Many districts, like Mesa, still have free athletic programs, but say that they considered tacking on a fee this year to help deal with budget constraints.
On the up-side, joining a gang is still free.
