MARSHFIELD – Marshfield families could soon see higher costs for school sports as the School Committee considers raising athletic fees for the first time since 2018.
At its Aug. 26 meeting, committee members and administrators said the district’s athletics program is running a $170,000 deficit, forcing officials to weigh changes.
“The last fee increase was seven years ago in 2018 and we increased [to] $300 per year, whether a student played one, two, or three sports,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Thomas Miller. “In those seven years since that increase the athletics deficit has grown consistently since then.”
The proposal under discussion would keep the $300 fee for the first two sports but add a $150 fee for a third, along with a $1,500 family cap.
“It’s fiscally irresponsible to move forward with the current fee system because it’s at the point where athletics could seriously potentially harm the classroom if we don’t move forward with [the] increase,” Miller said.
Athletic Director William Battis added that rising costs have made it difficult to keep expenses under control despite efforts to cut transportation and facility costs.
Committee members discussed the need to address budget realities while also protecting student access to sports.
“I am going to be perfectly honest; I do not support this at all. I do not love the way it was rolled out. I think that it’s going to negatively impact students that might take a second sport,” said School Committee Vice Chair Lara Brait. Brait went on to say that she would vote no on this increase.
The School Committee postponed a vote on the athletic fee proposal because only three members were present and they wanted to allow time for community input. This issue could be voted on at the upcoming Sept. 9 meeting.