North Schuylkill eliminates pay-to-participate fee for extracurriculars
Aug. 17—FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — North Schuylkill students will no longer have to pay a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the school board voted to eliminate its pay-to-participate fee, which had been required for all junior/senior high school students involved in sports and other activities since 2012.
Business Manager Robert Amos said the district received a significant boost in basic education funding this year that would make the fee negligible. The fee generated about $19,000 in revenue for the district each year, he said.
"With the fair funding that we're getting now ... we're able to cut back," Amos said. "There's years when our basic education funding didn't increase by more than 0.1%. Now, we're getting 6, 7, 8% increases."
North Schuylkill's pay-to-participate fee was based on the national school lunch guidelines: Students who qualified for free lunch paid $30 per year; reduced-lunch students paid $40; and students who didn't qualify for free or reduced lunch paid $50.
Board President Charles Hepler said the basic education funding in this year's state budget, as well as the district holding the line on real estate taxes, made it possible to eliminate the fee.
The total $567 million increase in basic education funds this year is the largest in Pennsylvania history, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro. North Schuylkill is set to receive a $13.5 million, or 9.8%, increase for basic and special education.
In other business Wednesday, the board approved:
—The employment of Paul Dean as an elementary teacher at a starting salary of $44,925.
—The employment of Amanda Smith as an elementary teacher at a starting salary of $44,275.
—The employment of Ryan Anderson as an English teacher at a starting salary of $61,275.
—A quote from Moyer Electric Supply Co. Inc., Pottsville, for replacement of the existing speaker wire at Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium at an approximate cost of $6,500.
Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085
