A letter in last week’s Press characterized the proposed Proposition 2½ override to offset athletic user fees as fiscally irresponsible. As a School Committee member who supported putting this proposal before voters, I feel it is important to clarify the intent and origin of the funding request.
Parents in Harvard have long paid some of the most onerous user fees in the state—second highest, according to The Boston Globe—for athletics, activities, and school bus transportation. A family with two Bromfield students playing multiple sports may spend more than $2,000 a year in athletic user fees. One could argue that sports boost academic performance, teach fundamental problem-solving and collaboration skills, and benefit the community as a whole. Students on the Bromfield School Council and Student Council have repeatedly raised concerns about the level of user fees. This is particularly problematic at the middle school, where it is important for students to try new sports and other activities, but difficult for many families to pay as much as $425 per sport.
This year, the Bromfield School Council (comprising students, parents, staff, and residents) sought a partial remedy by seeking funding that would subsidize user fees, making a consistent fee for each sport (approximately $225 per sport) with a cap of $600 per student. The cost to implement is $138,000, with $31,000 coming from the schools’ budget. This is consistent with previous years, in which the budget has included a nominal athletic department allocation. The reason for requesting the remaining $107,000—approximately $58 per average household—as an override is to avoid additional cuts to academic programs or other town departments such as the library and public safety departments. The Bromfield School Council brought this request to the School Committee, which requested that the Board of Selectmen include it on the Town Meeting warrant. Contrary to making an “egregious, insensitive, and short-sighted decision” the committee advocated for democracy—giving Harvard’s residents, parents, and students the opportunity to voice their opinions on user fees at Town Meeting and the ballot box.
Virginia Justicz
Woodside Road
