If the Sedona-Oak Creek School District gives its approval to Principal David Lykins’ proposal to charge students $100 to play a sport at Sedona Red Rock High School, they wouldn’t be the only school in the Verde Valley to have taken this step to help fund their extra-curricular programs.
Mark Showers, dean of students and athletic director at Camp Verde High School, already charges $25 per student if a student wants to play a sport during the academic school year, but said that’s about as far as it goes.
By Brian Bergner Jr.
Larson Newspapers
If the Sedona-Oak Creek School District gives its approval to Principal David Lykins’ proposal to charge students $100 to play a sport at Sedona Red Rock High School, they wouldn’t be the only school in the Verde Valley to have taken this step to help fund their extra-curricular programs.
Mark Showers, dean of students and athletic director at Camp Verde High School, already charges $25 per student if a student wants to play a sport during the academic school year, but said that’s about as far as it goes.
“The $25 fee covers the student for one or more sports if he or she chooses to do so during the academic school year,” Showers said.
Students at Camp Verde who do not participate in any extra-curricular activity are not charged, but Mingus Union High in Cottonwood can’t say the same.
Any student who attends Mingus must pay a $10 activity fee whether they participate in a sport, in drama or in anything else. If they do not participate in anything, they still have to pay the fee.
“The activity fee is charged to every student which helps run our programs,” Mingus Athletic Director Mike Boysen said.
In a time when the will to participate is at a surplus but the funds to do so are not available, Mingus, Camp Verde and Sedona all have their own issues when it comes to budget.
For Sedona, the SOCSD allocates about $75,000 for its athletic budget, $43,000 of which is used to pay coaches salaries and $32,000 is used for transportation, Arizona Interscholastic Association fees and other amenities.
Sedona also receives about $25,000 a year from the Scorpion Booster Club for equipment costs, and an additional $8,000 for uniforms comes from the SOCSD as well.
Whatever else is needed comes strictly from tax credit, SRRHS Athletic Director John Parks said.
Although the budget at Mingus runs about $71,000 for equipment, uniforms, supplies, AIA fees and services purchased, it doesn’t include travel or coaches’ salaries. Sedona’s budget includes both.
For Camp Verde, the budget runs around $35,000 for the athletic programs which includes officials, hotels, AIA fees but not travel or coaches’ fees.
There is also $11,000 for Camp Verde to use for uniforms every year.
Overall, the budgets at each school are used for the same basic things but realistically cannot be compared based on the varying sizes of the schools.
SRRHS does, however, have to use its budget for travel and coaches’ salaries whereas the other two schools do not.
This fact alone screams for another source of funds, which is where the $100 per student per sport comes into play.
SOCSD will hold a board meeting at the district office on Brewer Road on Thursday, May 15, at 3:45 p.m. for the public to voice their opinions on this “pay to play” subject.
After all opinions are heard, a decision will be made.
Brian Bergner Jr. can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 131, or e-mail to bbergner@larsonnewspapers.com
