Tribune staff editorial

At a time when many Minnesota school districts – especially rural ones – are facing tough budget decisions, it makes sense that schools will need to begin shifting the costs of extracurricular activities onto the students who participate and their families.

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

At a time when many Minnesota school districts – especially rural ones – are facing tough budget decisions, it makes sense that schools will need to begin shifting the costs of extracurricular activities onto the students who participate and their families. That’s just what the Albert Lea district is looking to do by planning to implement larger user fees in order to reinstate many of those activities originally cut to make up a $1.1 million budget deficit last year.

With growing frustration over how schools spend their money – a large part of which is out of local control thanks to state and federal mandates – voters in Albert Lea and elsewhere have voted no in levy referenda, signaling that they are unwilling or unable to help pay for programs outside the traditional classroom. It’s inevitable that if supporters of these programs want them to continue, they will start footing more of the bill.

This is also, however, unfortunate. Raising the cost of participation creates an uneven playing field where some students may not be able to afford to participate. Every student should have the opportunity to take part in athletics, music and academic extracurricular activities. And leaving the costs for boosters to pay gives an advantage to more visible or popular activities while others have less of a chance to survive.

The Albert Lea School District is doing what it can to keep valuable activities alive, hoping to bridge the gap until changes in state funding or a successful levy referendum can relieve the budget pressure. But somebody is going to have to pay for it, and that will fall upon the students.