At the July 22 Dexter Board of Education meeting, board members voted unanimously to pause the discussion of pay-to-participate athletics until at least two community forums are held, per recommendations from both the Athletics Ad Hoc and Finance Committees.
Current board members on the Athletics Ad Hoc Committee (Michael Wendorf, Mara Greatorex, Ron Darr) met in a public meeting on July 16 to discuss the much-debated topic of pay-to-participate, among other subjects. During the meeting, it was noted that, “review of these fees was not intended to increase revenue, but to address inequities among the fees paid by boys and girls in school-funded and club sports.”
At that meeting, committee members voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Education that, “the District pause any change to pay-to-participate fees; schedule at least two public forums including all stakeholders to discuss athletics structure; and review scenarios including break-even with the current subsidy and flat fee structures ($250/150, $175/100, and other incremental options including no pay-to-participate fee at all).”
Following that decision, the recommendation was then taken to the BOE Finance Committee, which met two days later on July 18. After discussion, the Finance Committee, comprised of board members Dick Lundy, Julie Schumaker and Michael Wendorf, voted unanimously to endorse the Athletics Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendation to the board.
When the recommendation was introduced at the July 22 BOE meeting, the board as a whole voted unanimously to pause the pay-to-participate discussion pending the scheduling of at least two community forums to include all stakeholders. Dates and times of the forums have not yet been announced.
The next Dexter Board of Education meeting will be held at Copeland on Monday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be preceded by a BOE Community Chat at 6 p.m.
