Those costs will be the same for students at the Deer Creek High School, when it opens in August.
Wasatch County School District’s Business Administrator, Jason Watt, said sports participation fees have remained steady for years, but must keep up with escalating costs.
“This fee primarily goes to the cost of athletics, game management is the cost to run the athletic program. The Utah High School Athletic Association has made a concerted effort recently to increase referee pay, and so we were happy to supplement that pretty significantly up to this point. But this would be a little extra in our ability to pay for that,” Watt said.
The fee discussion came during the Wasatch County School District’s Board of Education meeting April 28. A second conversation, along with public feedback and a vote are expected May 26.
According to the board, athletes aren’t the only students that will see fee bumps.
Families with students in advanced placement classes will also see a slight cost increase. Those fees rise at a regular rate to keep up with material and testing needs. School district board member Breanne Dedrickson said the increases are not arbitrary.
“I do think it's important to address with the public that these aren't random. These fees are tied back to the direct cost in the classroom,” she said. “The teachers determine this is how much the supplies are, and there's no fluff. This is what it costs to take the class.”
The district also sets a maximum fee for student travel, and is proposing an increase from $1650 to $2000 for any single school-related trip.
The board also addressed a number of district construction projects. It approved just over $400,000 for a partial roof replacement at Wasatch High to address persistent leaking at the building.
It also greenlighted $390,000 in lighting upgrades for the high school's football field. Director of Operations Shawn Kelly said the project will help maintain equity at its facilities as the district prepares to open Deer Creek.
“In an effort to keep both high schools similar we asked our administrators and teachers for a list of what they needed right away [at Wasatch High School] to make these two schools equal,” Kelly said. “And that was one of the big things. Our region last year had all LED lights; they’re industry standard and they were one of the first things on that list.”
During a study session ahead of its regular meeting this week, the board heard a presentation on a housing needs assessment commissioned by the district.
