Poland school board takes no action on pay-to-play

POLAND — School board members continued discussions of pay-to-participate athletic fees, but they did not make a decision.

The board heard from Athletic Director Brian Banfield, who said the average cost of pay-to-participate athletics at Ohio schools is $140 per high-school sport.

“I would support a fee of $150 for high-school athletes and $75 for middle-school athletes and a family cap,” Banfield said at tonight’s board session.

In the 2011-2012, the district had 884 participants in all sports, he said. Students who participated in two sports, for example, are counted twice.

Superintendent Robert Zorn said Lakeview Schools in Trumbull County is comparable to Poland in terms of enrollment and demographics. According to Lakeview’s website, its fees in 2011-12 were $75 per student (unlimited sports) in seventh and eighth grade and $100 per high-school student per sports season. A maximum of $200 per student and $400 per family was set for all students.

Board president Dr. Larry Dinopoulos said he wants to be able to show residents exactly how the board determined the fee.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com