Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

7-24-2003
what happens to the extra monies if/when more than the minimum number of required participants pays their pay fees? for example, if the minimum crosscountry participants is 10, and 20 participate on the team, what happens to the extra $2,500 ($250 * 10)?

PLSD Treasurer Could Answer


Our excellent PSLD Treasurer, Vince Utterback, would be in a better position to answer your question directly.

With that said, it is my understanding the Vince has established an 'extracurricular activities fund' to house all donations (including my $4083) and channel all fees collected. The monies would stay in that fund unless the PLSD board would reallocate them to another acccount. So in theory, if more monies were donated and collected than expenditures for extracurricular activities, they would be carried over to the next fiscal year and participation fees could be thus reduced.

However, I am concerned about the opposite. From what I have heared, there are several situations where the minimum has not been reached. I am very concerned about reports from the junior high that too few cross country and 7th grader football players to field a team at Ridgeview. I think a factor maybe the participation fee.

If I was asked my opinion, I would have substantially reduced junior high sport fees and put a cap per family. Talent is yet unknown at the junior high level and I would hate to see a fee be a barrier to extracurricular participation and involveement.

Academic Cuts First

Mark -

While I believe that sports are an important piece of our kids education. They are in school for academics first.

I think we need to take a step back, balance the budget - if there is money left - it needs to go to putting back academic cuts - Jr High Language, that's certainly more important than Jr High Football. Once academics are at least back to where we were we should then look at the extra curriculars.

Mrs. Oakes didn't vote against them on Monday. She just thought they should be making an informed decision once the budget was reviewed.

In my mind, the Pay to Play Fee cuts made by the Board Monday were as uninformed as cutting 1/2 day Kindergarten without knowing the savings in May. They made cuts not knowing if the $600.0 would come to pass or the status of academic programs we should be offering our children in at least the 7th & 8th grades. Really it should start much younger.

So there is a potential gap in sports of ~ $800.0 to the need & we are going to cover that with the levy not knowing what is in or out of the Budget. There is not a Forture 500 company that I know of that would have made that decision. Why is it OK for our School Board to do so ??

By Lakeview Mom

Lakeview Mom: You Are Correct


Lakeview Mom:

You are so correct ... as a district we must restore Junior High foreign lanuages before resorting any extracurricular activity.