The Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education is considering removing admission fees for student fans to extracurricular events and games. Currently, parents pay $50 per year for each student activity pass that grants access to school-sponsored events or pay the single-event admission fee. At last night’s (Tuesday) meeting, Superintendent Casey Berlau sought feedback from the board on the idea.
In recent years, activity passes have generated around $13,000 for the district’s Activity Fund, which is used to finance extracurricular programs, transportation, equipment, and more. Activity pass sales are one of the few revenue sources for the Activity Fund, and Board Member Duane Horsley says it is often one of their restricted funds with the lowest balance.
According to records, CCSD typically sells around 300 activity passes per year. That equates to about one in five of the district’s ~1,700 students. Board Member Onica Ulveling questions how many students cannot attend due to the entrance fees.
Berlau notes he is continuously impressed with the size of the student section at CHS events but adds that cost likely plays a factor for some families in determining if they’ll go to a game. Horsley says his initial reaction would be to lower fees rather than eliminate them entirely. The board appeared supportive of looking further into reducing or eliminating student admission fees and directed staff to examine the financial feasibility of such a change. They also wanted feedback from stakeholders on the idea and indicated they would be releasing a survey for parents to complete in the near future.
