Genoa: Spring sports events to cost parents, kids

3/30/2005

Students, parents, and community members planning to attend Genoa High School spring athletic events will have to dole out a buck or two.

Officials from the high school athletic department recently decided to charge $1 for students and children, and $2 for adults to attend home spring sporting events, which include track, baseball, and softball, Treasurer Mike Weis said. Senior citizens age 62 and older will be admitted free, and yearly season passes will be accepted at the events. A family season pass costs $300, and an individual season pass costs $100.

Mr. Weis said the fees are meant to help offset the transportation costs for away games - which cost the district about $14,000 annually - and to defray the costs to keep up the athletic facilities.

He said the fees are expected to generate about $3,000.

There have been periodic attendance fees at spring sporting events in the past, but Mr. Weis said they have not been consistent until this year.

What has been consistent, he said, is charging a fee for patrons to attend fall and winter sports games.

To attend varsity football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball games, students and children have to pay $3, while adults are charged $5, Mr. Weis said. Junior varsity and freshman games played year-round generally cost $1 for students and $2 for adults to attend. There is no charge to attend cross country meets or golf.

Mr. Weis said patrons have the option to buy a season pass for two of the fall and winter sports. A football season pass costs $40 and a basketball season pass costs $55.

Patrons pay to watch the games, and players pay to play the games - Genoa students pay a pay-to-participate extracurricular activity fee that hauls in $48,000 for the district. The fees cost students $120 for the first sport, $100 for the second sport, and $80 for the third sport.

The Genoa Area Local Schools Board of Education discussed possibly lowering the fee to a flat $50 for each sport - which would bring in $22,500 annually for the district - if voters pass a levy in May.

The school board will ask voters to pass a three-year, 4.9-mill operating levy on May 3 to bring back some of the $1.4 million in programs and personnel cut over the last two years, which includes high school bus transportation.

Most programs were cut because voters defeated a 5.25-mill continuing operating levy in August that would have raised $787,000 a year.

However, voters did approve a five-year, 5-mill renewal operating levy in November that brings in $474,000 a year that will help maintain day-to-day operations.

The district has asked voters to approve six levies since 2000, and three of those have passed.