By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — With no comment from the public or board members, the Montgomery Township Board of Education approved a policy on March 2 that implements a student activity participation fee, formalizing a practice that has been in place for many years.
The policy states that “with reduced or limited revenue and increased expenses,” the activity participation fee would contribute to a percentage of the district’s costs for operating school-sponsored activities.
School district officials said that although the practice has been in place for at least a half-dozen years, it was never put in writing. It was suggested at a school board subcommittee meeting to put a written policy in place.
It is not unusual for a school district to implement an activity fee because of costs, said Superintendent of Schools Nancy Gartenberg. The decision to charge an activity fee pre-dates her arrival in the school district, she said.
When the fee was originally implemented, the district charged $75 per student for unlimited activities or sports. The fee was increased to $100 per student for unlimited activities or sports.
Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, the fee has been capped at $200 per family — regardless of the number of children participating. The fee, however, will be reviewed annually.
