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The board would need to cut $20,000, or raise that amount, to have what it considers to be a balanced and fair budget that can be taken to the town, Superintendent Deborah Low said. And one way to do that was to suggest the possibility of raising the cost of pay to play sports.
“In retrospect it wasn’t the best move,” said Low. Several parents, notably from hockey, went to an earlier meeting to urge the board to not raise the athletic costs.
Student athletes at Ridgefield High School currently pay $250 per athlete per sport, and parents spoke out vehemently against any increase.
At the meeting Monday night, a revised plan to save $20,000 was presented. A total of $15,000 was reduced from the rubbish removal, non-health insurance and professional library line items.
An additional $5,000 was added to the athletic gate receipts, raising the projected ticket sales from $41,000 to $46,000. Historically, the athletics department has earned far more than that in ticket sales: In the 2011-12 year more than $64,000 was collected.
“You do need to have a little cushion,” said Athletic Director Carl Charles. Weather and team performances have a significant effect on gate attendance, he said.
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