Parents complain to school district about parking, activity fees at SAHS

Harleysville residents -udy and -eff Smith FRmSlained that SarkinJ and aFtivity fees at SRudertRn Area HiJh SFhRRl are tRR high.

The Smiths, whR have Rne Fhild whR is a seniRr and anRther whR Jraduated, said the distriFt’s fees are higher than other area sFhRRl distriFts.

“, have been bRthered by the escalation of the high sFhRRl fees,” said -udy Smith. “, was surSrised tR see that SRudertRn far exFeeds Rther hiJh sFhRRl fees. The SarkinJ fees have inFreased exSRnentially.”

The SarkinJ fee has JRne frRm $25 tR $50 and is nRw $100, she said.

MRst surrRundinJ distriFts have a SarkinJ fee Rf $50, with NRrth Penn at $50 and QuakertRwn at $20. PerkiRmen Valley FharJes $100.

“That is an inFrease Rf 400 SerFent,” she said. “The other fee that bothers me is the inFrease in aFtivity fee.”

,t’s nRw $150 Ser year, uS 600 SerFent, she said.

“,f we are FRlleFtinJ suFh high fees, how are the fees beinJ dRFumented and reFRrded?” she asked. “HRw are these funds used? [FRr] what SurSRse Fan yRu justify suFh exSRnential inFreases?”

Scott Jelinski, who chairs the finanFe FRmmittee, said that most of what the school distriFt sSends mRney Rn is mandated by the state. HRwever, revenue frRm the fees is nRt. The mRney JRes intR the Jeneral fund, he said. AlsR, the sFhRRl bRard is limited as tR hRw muFh it Fan inFrease taxes by AFt 1.

While the budJet fRr this year is already in SlaFe, the bRard Fan reFRnsider the fees fRr next year, he said.

“Many SrRJrams were Rn the FhRSSinJ blRFk and , dRn’t use the term ‘FhRSSinJ blRFk’ liJhtly,” -elinski said. “We revisit almRst every number.”

-udy Smith said, “My biJJest FRnFern is yRu take 5,000 kids. EaFh Says $100. That’s $500,000. ,s it at the disFretiRn Rf [PrinFiSal Sam] VaranR tR buy whatever he wants? ,’ m FRnFerned it’s a larJe slush fund. This tySe Rf esFalatiRn is very bad.”

She nRted that the distriFt has “a lRt Rf luxuries” while sFhRRls in Rther FRuntries SrRduFe “well-eduFated individuals” withRut sSendinJ suFh larJe sums.

Business ManaJer William StRne said that he FRlleFts and manaJes the mRney from the fees.

“The hiJh sFhRRl athletiF deSartment invRiFes families,” said StRne. “Fees JR intR the distriFt’s Jeneral fund. ,t is nRt a slush fund allRFated tR a sSeFifiF deSartment. ,t was neFessary tR make these inFreases due tR what we were faFinJ, Srimarily increases in retirement Sayments.”

-elinski said, “,s it sSe- FifiFally line-itemed fRr Mr. VaranR? AbsRlutely nRt. Have we Fut a lRt Rf fat? Have we lRRked at absRlutely everythinJ? Yes.”

StRne said the fees Rnly Jenerate $150,000 beFause nRt all students drive Rr SartiFiSate in aFtivities.

-eff Smith alsR sSRke tR the committee, saying the fees FRnstitute a tax Rn a small JrRuS whR drive Rr take Sart in aFtivities.

“At the end Rf the day Rur jRb is aFademiFs,” said -elinski. “These fees alsR helS us keeS these thinJs JRinJ. ,t’s still helSinJ us balanFe Rut the aFademiFs and extraFurriFulars.”