Articles
Aug 26th, 2008 by SOS Committee
Table of Contents (Direct Links to Articles):
Articles from the Boston Globe North, published 8/24/2008
Beyond sports, activity fees too
For private institutions, costs pinch in tough economy
Sports user fees at high schools north of Boston
The soaring price of suiting up(Includes list of articles about Question #1)
Quick View:
Question #1
On Nov. 4, Election Day, Massachusetts voters won’t just be choosing a new president. We’ll also be asked to decide whether we want to abolish our state income tax.
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Article
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Author | Publication | Date
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| Boston Globe Editorial 9/28/2008 | |
| Yvonne Abraham, Globe Columnist, 10/5/2008 |
While the prospect of having extra cash during these tight times is appealing, budget experts tell us the effect of this enormous amount of lost revenue to the state would be felt immediately and significantly in our towns and in our classrooms, to say nothing of its impact on healthcare, roads and bridges, and public safety. [Click to view whole article]
Paying To Play
Articles from the Boston Globe North, published 8/24/2008
The soaring price of suiting up
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By Rich Fahey
Globe Correspondent / August 24, 2008
Hamilton-Wenham football games will cost close to $100 a pop this fall.That’s not for seats on the 50-yard line, but what players who suit up for the Generals pay to play: a $969 user fee, the highest for football in communities north of Boston.
Sports isn’t funded as part of the school budget. A combination of athletic fees, private fund-raising, and gate receipts provides 100 percent of the money, and athletic director Don Doucette has become a master at stretching the dollars.
“You’re going to see a lot more of this in the future,” said Doucette. “I’ll be a featured speaker out there some day, telling people how to do this and what to avoid.”
The original fee to play football at Hamilton-Wenham was about $1,400, but that was reduced to $969 by fund-raising and projected gate receipts.
| Hamilton Wenham | Sport Fee |
|---|---|
| SOFTBALL | $625* |
| BASEBALL | $684* |
| FOOTBALL | $969* |
| Gloucester | Sport Fee |
| PER SPORT | $302 |
| WINTHROP | Sport Fee |
| PER SPORT | $350 |
| SOURCE: Local school districts George Patisteas/Globe Staff |
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Of the 32 public high schools in the area, 23 have sports user fees. Most are hefty, with some parents on the hook for more than $1,500 a year.
Click to read the full article, and to leave a comment. See also - Upping the ante - Sports user fees at high schools north of Boston.
Rich Fahey can be reached at faheywrite@yahoo.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
For private institutions, costs pinch in tough economy
By Kathy McCabe
Globe Staff / August 24, 2008
Private high schools north of Boston are getting a tough lesson in economics.
Costs for fuel and supplies are rising. Enrollments are steady, but more students are also applying for financial assistance to pay hefty tuition bills. St. Mary’s High School in Lynn - where the $6,900 tuition is the least expensive in the region - received a record $800,000 in requests for aid for this school year.
“That’s significantly higher than last year,” said Ray Bastarache, head of the 575-student school. “We do the best we can, but we can’t give what we don’t have.”
The Governor’s Academy in Byfield - whose $41,300 bill for tuition, room, and board is the costliest in the region - had only a 2 percent increase in financial aid requests. But the 370-student school is able to offer financial help to just 25 percent of the student body, admissions director Peter Bidstrup said.
“We’re not need-blind, and very few schools are,” he said. “For a school of our size, to meet the full financial needs of the students who apply we’d have to double or triple our financial [aid pool] and that’s just not feasible.”
The demand for financial help has forced independent and Catholic high schools across the region to sharpen their pencils to control costs.
Click to read the full article, and to leave a comment
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
Cash-strapped schools are passing on rising costs to students, in fees for everything from athletics to afterschool clubs to parking
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Winthrop High School students (from left) Lauren Amaru, Sarah Ford, and Melissa MacNeil adjust stagelights. (MICHAEL DWYER FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE) |
By Katheleen Conti
Globe Staff / August 24, 2008
A lot of fun - and power - comes with being part of the high school yearbook committee - the layout, the fonts, the candids, and overseeing memorabilia that will be treasured for a lifetime.
At Winthrop High School, about 30 students usually sign up for yearbook at the start of the school year, said Robin Kostegan, assistant principal and yearbook coordinator.
“When they realize how much work it is and how much it entails, it drops down to 10 or five,” Kostegan said.
This year’s participation rate might be even lower, as hard work is not the only price for working on the yearbook, or at any other afterschool activity. For the first time, Winthrop students will have to pay a fee to participate in nonathletic extracurricular activities.
“What’s going to happen?” Kostegan asked. “I may not have any kids.”
Winthrop is not alone.
A combination of expense increases and less state aid has forced area school district administratorsto impose fees.
For several districts, the trend started with athletics. Now, many charge for everything from drama club to parking.
Click to read the full article, and to leave a comment
Katheleen Conti can be reached at kconti@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
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