In C’ville, cheerleading costs $3,850

Fees for extracurricular school activities jar board

A list of proposed Collierville school fees for 2016-17 includes nearly $4,000 for cheerleading and appeared to shock school board members Tuesday.

The proposed annual football fee was $300 per year. For basketball, $350. For soccer, $750. For baseball, $1,600. For Competition Pom, a type of cheerleading, the proposed fee was a bit higher: $3,850 per year, Superintendent John Aitken said, adding that the cost covers items such as travel and hiring specialized instructors.

He said fundraising could reduce the end price for cheerleading and the other activities.

The cheerleading cost was one of the more jarring numbers that came to public view this month as the school system continued work on a review of fines and fees charged to parents in Collierville. The board is expected to approve the fee list by July 12.

Some other school districts in the Memphis area and across the country likewise charge fees for participation in activities such as band and athletics, and the practice has drawn scrutiny from critics who say it deprives students from middle-class or poor families from having a full school experience.

Board member Wanda Chism expressed concern about the high costs. She said Collierville is an affluent community, but some parents have moved there just to enroll their children in the school system and they struggle to meet housing costs. “Sometimes there’s not a lot left over.”

Aitken said the rising fees reflect the wishes of parents who want excellent programs. He said over time, he’d like the school system to cut fees and make the activities more accessible to all.

“I probably could offset it a basic level. But if we want this type of program up here,” he said, holding his hand high in the air, “and the best facilities and the best fields, then it’s going to require more from the parents.”

State law says that schools can’t mandate fees for required classes — for instance, students who come from homes with incomes so low that they qualify for free and reduced lunch won’t have to pay the proposed $600 fee for varsity band.

The school system can exclude students who can’t pay the fee from extracurriculars. However, the booster clubs that help fund the activities often help students through payment plans or trading chores for fees, Aitken and other staffers said.