St. Paul has been fortunate for the past few years to not have had participation fees for athletics. Due to budget constraints, these fees were reinstated at the July board meeting for the 2024-2025 school year.
For the past three years, the district waived the fees and subsidized them using other funds. The budget committee and board did an amazing job balancing the 2024-2025 budget. With the current financial situation the funds used to waive these fees need to shift to support other instructional needs.
Beginning in the fall semester, high school students will be responsible for a $110 fee per student per sport, and students participating in junior high athletics will be responsible for a $65 fee per student per sport. These fees will be used to support the cost of officials, transportation, and coaches.
There will be a cap per high school student of $220 and a total family cap for high school sports of $660. The cap per student for middle schoolers will be $130 with a middle school family cap of $195.
Nationally, high school athletic fees range from $50-$150 per sport, with some costing as much as $275. For a local comparison, Perrydale charges $120 per student per sport, North Marion charges $150 per sport per student, and Newberg has a rate of $200 per sport per student.
We value and believe participation in athletics and other extracurricular activities is important and do not want any barriers to participation. Thanks to the support of the St. Paul Booster Club, St. Paul will be able to offer waivers of fees for students facing financial barriers. To access these waivers students or families need to speak to the athletic director. All information will be confidential There is no limit to the number of waivers available for students across the district.
Troy Fisher, EdD
Superintendent, St. Paul School District