Drop in participation linked to fees

Nearly 200 fewer students in the Brainerd School District are participating in sports at the middle school level compared to two years ago.

A report about the number of Brainerd students participating in sports was presented Tuesday to the district's Curriculum Committee - providing a glimpse at the impact the 2008-09 budget cuts have had on the sports' programs, especially at the middle school level.

Activities director Todd Selk and Brainerd Community Education director Todd Lyscio provided the committee with data on how many students in the middle and high school level have participated in sports.

"We've been tracking the numbers and we're concerned that the significant amount of fees is impacting the program," said Selk. "A year ago we were in front of you to approve the tiers to our participation fees, in our belief that the numbers would increase. ... We built some incentives and gave some discounts to spur more participation.

"The real question is, at this level, can the program be sustained over time? Maybe our middle school numbers are telling us something."

What are the numbers?

Selk said the numbers are deceiving because the data lists one student per sport. So if one student is involved in three sports, that student is counted three times. In the forecast for this school year, 1,028 of 1,930 students in ninth- through 12th grade participated in sports, compared to 1,071 of 2,153 students who participated in the 2008-09 school year. The percentage of these students in ninth- through 12th grade participating in sports calculates to be 53.3 percent this school, compared to 49.7 percent last year and 50.4 percent in 2007-08.

At the middle school level, 677 students participated in sports this school year, compared to 662 students who participated last school year and 868 who participated in the 2007-08 school year. The percentage of these middle school students participating in sports calculates to be 34.8 percent this school, compared to 34 percent last year and 43 percent in 2007-08.

The overall percentage of students at the middle and the high school level who participated in sports this year was 44 percent, compared to 42.2 percent last year and 46.9 percent in 2007-08.

Selk said he was told by a coach who teaches at the middle school that he encourages students to go out for a sport. Selk said the teacher said students who normally didn't plan to be in a sport, try it out. However, Selk said the teacher now says that the students won't try out for the sport because of the participation fee.

Superintendent Steve Razidlo said when the district made cuts for the 2008-09 school year, the sports and activities program was one where the district asked the users to foot the bill.

"Are we still comfortable with the user fee?" Razidlo asked the committee. "We think (sports and activities) are important and need further attention. Are we doing this the way we want to?"

Selk said the participation fees were altered so the cost was fair to parents for each sport.

"It's not easy to determine a cost," said Selk. "An attempt was made to take a closer look and I believe the district has an investment in the program."

The participation fees at the high school are:

• Tier 1 sports: $250 for adapted floor hockey, dance, boys' and girls' golf, tennis and track.

• Tier 2 sports: $350 for baseball, competitive cheer, football, softball, volleyball, boys' and girls' cross country, soccer and swimming.

• Tier 3 sports: $425 for gymnastics, wrestling, boys' and girls' basketball, hockey and Alpine and Nordic skiing.

At the middle school:

• The fee per sport for sixth-grade football and track and sixth- through seventh-grade softball and volleyball is $100.

• The fee per sport for eighth-grade baseball and softball; sixth- through eighth-grade cross country, Nordic skiing, swimming, tennis and wrestling; and seventh- through eighth-grade football and track is $150.

Steve Lund, director of business services, said the district's costs for all activities, not just sports, this school year is $814,138, compared to $621,488 last school year. Lund said if the district decides to pay for more of the costs of the program, it may get itself back into financial trouble, where the district could spend around $1.2 million in activities.

The committee made no recommendation Tuesday regarding the participation fees.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.