Pay-To-Participate ‘Compromise’ Wins Approval

By Larissa Lytwyn

The school board unanimously approved Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff’s recommendation to establish a $40 school activities fee that covers multiple club participation, excluding intramurals, FBLA, tech crew, and short-term workers such as ticket takers, makeup artists, and the orchestra pit crew for school plays.

During a recent administrative meeting on the issue, Newtown High School Principal Bill Manfredonia said, “Every club advisor agreed to this compromise.”

Board Chairman Elaine McClure relayed a statement from a letter sent to her by drama club advisor Tom Swetts: “I agree with this compromise just to get out of this mess.”

“He also said that if anything good came out of this, it would be that avenues of communication [between students and administration] were opened,” Ms McClure said.

Dr Pitkoff commended the “zest and commitment” exhibited by antifee students during monthlong negotiations. He encouraged students to actively participate in this year’s budget process to guide officials on which items were most important to retain.

Each school’s administrative staff is currently negotiating its 2004–05 budget. School budget presentations to the board of education are expected to take place in mid-December.

Nonetheless, Newtown High School senior Michael Compagnoni expressed disappointment — though not surprise — at the board’s decision. “After carefully determining the amount of money the school board will actually receive based on this [compromise],” he said, “I have come to the conclusion that the board will only be making $11,744.” It was apparent, he continued, that this will account for only a fraction of the approximately $35,000 the board plans to collect from the fees.

A statement by board attorney Frederick Dorsey, however, states that the “free public education” guaranteed by state law is only applicable to the “curricular portion of board program offerings.” Numerous court decisions, he writes, have found that participation in extracurricular activities is a “student privilege as opposed to a right.”

While the fee process is legal according to Mr Dorsey, Ms McClure emphasized that the implementation of the fees as a way to manage a limited budget was not likely to recur during the 2004–05 academic year.

“I do not plan to put [this fee] on my letter of recommendations for next year’s budget,” said Dr Pitkoff.

While board member Andrew Buzzi admitted that fee projections were “initially incorrect,” he maintained that each board decision, as well as its fiscal records, is available and open to the public.

Ms McClure also noted that the board’s policies, which have not been reviewed since 1995, should be updated.

Michael Compagnoni remains skeptical of whether the implementation of the high school fees will raise the board’s projected revenue. Student participation, he suggested, is likely to decline. He also maintains that several of the board’s bylaws are legally questionable.

“And I wouldn’t count out that some clubs may dissolve completely because of this fee,” he said.