Pay-to-Participate Concerns Discussed at PASD Board Meeting

Though he admitted it didn’t make it out of committee, Dr. Dan Cushing, board member, brought the issue of pay to participate to the table during last week’s board workshop.

Cushing proposed possibly funding the district’s new pay-to-participate program to the tune of $75,000. He suggested still keeping the pay-to-participate line item, but said the district could fund it using some of the approximately $826,000 that came back to the district in state funding, restoring some of the $2.34 million that was cut by the state for the 2011-2012 school year.

That idea, however, didn’t take off, and only Board Member Jill Slawecki said she’d go along with such a plan. It seemed like the pay-to-participate issue wouldn’t arise again, but it came back to the table in the form of the student liaison report at the tail end of the board’s regular meeting Thursday night.

Junior Representative AnnaMarie Rubino gave her first ever report, having been appointed as the student representative to the board earlier that evening. Rubino reported that students weren’t aware of the new policy, and told the board that some students were foregoing participating because of the fees.

Due to budget issues and a large cut in state funding for the 2011-2012 school year, the district enacted the pay-to-participate policy where students pay $50 for extra-curricular activities deemed major and $25 for those activities in the minor category. The major/minor designation is decided by the cost per student doled out by the district. There is a cap on fees if students are enrolled in multiple activities.

Additionally, the Phoenixville Community Education Foundation (PCEF) has donated $10,000 to help students struggling to pay the activities fees.

Superintendent Dr. Alan Fegley addressed the pay-to-participate concerns, saying students with issues paying can go to Tony Palladino, athletic director, at the high school and to counselors at the middle school level. Answering Rubino’s other question, of where the money goes, Fegley said it goes back into the school budget to support the cost of extra-curricular activities.

Fegley has consistently expressed support for student participation in activities, and he stressed that he didn’t want anyone holding off participation due to the fees.

“The goal is for all students to participate,” Fegley said.

Cushing said Rubino’s statement supported his thought that some students might forego participation due to finances and that some would be afraid to speak up. He urged that while it should be done appropriately, the district should “seek the children out” to let them know help was available.

Board President Paul Slaninka supported the sentiments.

“We don’t want one students spending one second not participating if they wanted to,” Slaninka said.

Kathryn Sutton, the senior student board representative, said she wasn’t aware that financial help was available for pay-to-participate.

“I don’t think students know that there is any help,” Sutton said, adding that more awareness of the PCEF funds would be good.