CLEVELAND — Over the last 20 years, pay-to-participate fees have become more common in Ohio public schools as districts grapple with budget cuts and changes in state funding. Ohio High School Athletic Association Director of Media Relations Tim Stried tells 3News Investigates the vast majority of schools do have some pay to participate model.
We gathered information from districts in nine different counties around Northeast Ohio. Using sourcing from dedicated athletic websites, published school handbooks, or posted fee structures, we were able to gather pay-to-participate information from more than 50 schools.
Fee structures vary greatly from district to district. In some instances, families are not required to pay fees at all, thanks to school budgeting or booster support. Others have modest family caps that also incorporate athletic fees for middle school students. The Buckeye Local School District had the highest annual family cap from the information we gathered. Families there can spend up to $1,500 a year.
Several local schools will be watching November elections closely as they have levies on the ballot. If they do not pass, athletic fees and the future of some programs may change.
Here is the pay-to-participate information we were able to gather:
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
- $80.00 per participant per activity (Grades 9-12)
- $50.00 per participant per activity (Grades 7-8)
- There is a cap of $500.00 on pay-to-participate fee amounts for an individual student for the 2024-2025 school year. Each sport has its own fee. The most expensive sports are Varsity Basketball, Varsity Football, Gymnastics and Girls Volleyball at $500
- High School Student-Athletes fee will be $100 per sport. There will be a family cap of $500 per school year. You must notify the athletic department if you believe your family will go over the cap.
- Middle School Student-Athletes fee will be $75 per sport. There will be a family cap of $500 per school year. You must notify the athletic department if you believe your family will go over the cap.
- High School: $90 per sport
- Middle School: $60 per sport
- High School: $65 per sport - no more than $105 per school year. $165 max per family per year.
- Middle School: $65 per sport - no more than $105 per school year. $165 max per family per year.
- Pay to participate cost $75.00 per sport for high school and middle school
- High School: There is a cap of $125 per athlete, per school year. No family cap.
- Middle School: There is a cap of $100 per athlete, per school year. No family cap.
- High School: $200 annually, $600 family cap
- Middle School: $100 annually, $600 family cap
- High School: There are various fees for athletics and all clubs. Amounts range from $15 to a high of $125 for some varsity sports including football, baseball, soccer, etc. There is also a $65 one-time transportation fee for some sports or activities. $315 cap on single student for the year.
- Middle School - costs range from $15 to $55 with some sports/activities being charged a one-time $65 for transportation. Single student cap is $75.
GEAUGA COUNTY
West Geauga Local Schools
- A $195 athletic fee covers student athletes in high school and middle school for the duration of the 2024-25 school year.
LAKE COUNTY
- Mentor High student athletes will pay $200 for the first sport/activity in which they participate and $50 for each additional sport. Additional family members will pay $50 per sport/activity. If a middle school student pays the initial $150 at the middle school and then a family member plays at the high school level - the $50 difference between the middle school pay to participate fee and the high school pay to participate fee must be paid along with the $50 to participate in the current sport/activity.
- Any student athletes at the middle school level will pay $150 for the first sport/activity in which they participate and $50 for each additional sport. Additional family members will pay $50 per sport/activity. If a middle school student pays the initial $150 at the middle school and then a family member plays at the high school level - the $50 difference between the middle school pay to participate fee and the high school pay to participate fee must be paid along with the $50 to participate in the current sport/activity.
- High School: $40 per season
- Middle School: $25 per season
- Grades 9-12: $200 per sport; Band $150; Cheer $150
- Grades 7/8: $150 per sport; Band $150; Cheer $150
Wickliffe City School District
- High School Athletics - $190
- Middle School Athletics - $150
- Sports with Van Transportation instead of Bus Transportation - $140
- Family Maximum - $720 per school year
LORAIN COUNTY
- For both Marion Steele High School and Amherst Junior High: The extracurricular activities listed on page two require a $300.00 participation fee. Note: This is a one-time participation fee for the academic year. For students one and two in a family, the fee for participation will be three hundred dollars ($300.00) per student. Any additional students living in the same household will pay one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per additional student.
- Avon High School: $200.00 cap per student on fees; $350.00 cap on fees per household.
- $200 per student: All athletic teams, cheerleading, Marching Band and Color Guard.
- $100 per student: Band, Pep Band, Electric Orchestra, Orchestra Winds & Percussion, Pit Band, Fall Play, Spring Musical, A Cappella Groups, Dance Team.
- Avon Middle School: There is a $100.00 cap per student on fees as well as a $350.00 cap on fees per household. The District may add clubs and teams annually. Clubs shall be placed in the appropriate category as determined by the administration.
- Pay to Participate $100.00 per student fee: All Avon Middle School Athletic Teams, Cheerleading
- Club Fee: These fees vary from group to group and are determined annually by the organization. Art Club, Drama Club, Jazz Band, Technology Club, Winter Sports Club, Yoga Club, Robotics Club.
- High School: $300 per student, per year
- Middle School: $150 per student, per year
- District Family Cap is $400
- For both high school and middle school: The fee is $150 per season (fall, winter, spring) per athlete; with a family cap of $300.00 per season for 7-12 athletes. The fee for Esports is $50 per season (fall and winter).
- High School: $175 for first activity. $25 for additional activity. No charge after that. Maximum yearly participation fee per family = $350.00
- Middle School: $125 for first activity, $25 for second. No charge after that. Maximum yearly participation fee per family = $350.00
- Keystone High School: A family cap of $1,200 per school year.
- Academic Challenge $75
- Band $175
- Choir $8
- Flag Corp $175
- First Sport $250
- Second Sport $200
- Third or more $100
- Keystone Middle School: Family cap of $1,200 per school year
- Band $18
- Choir $8
- First Sport $150
- Second Sport $125
- Third or more $75
- Midview High School: Different "tiers" of sports broken down. Most "first" sports are $300. Second sport is $100. Individual cap of $400 with no family cap.
- Midview Middle School: First sport is generally $200, second sport is $100. Individual cap is at $300 with no family cap.
- High School: $250 fee per student. There is a HOUSEHOLD CAP of $400.00. If a household has two high school students involved in athletics, they will pay $400 total (because there is a household cap of $400) If a household has one middle school student and one high school student involved in athletics they will pay $400 total.
- Middle School: $150 fee per student. The Household cap for Middle school is $300. If a household has two middle school students involved in athletics, they will pay $300 total.
- Fee Breakdown: $100 per student per season, $200 (cap) per family for the school year (**Applies for families with student-athletes at both Brookside High School and Brookside Middle School)
MEDINA COUNTY
- High School (Grades 9-12) - $75 per season
- Middle School (Grades 7-8) - $50 per season
- High School: 1st activity $345, 2nd $245, 3rd $145
- Family Max in a year - $1,500
- Middle School: 1st activity $270, 2nd $170, 3rd $70
- Family Max in a year - $1,500
- High School: $125 per sport, $375 family cap. Students on the Federal Lunch program pay 50% of fee if on reduced status, 0% if on free status, but limited to ONE activity/sport per student.
- Middle School: $85 per sport, $375 family cap. Students on the Federal Lunch program pay 50% of fee if on reduced status, 0% if on free status, but limited to ONE activity/sport per student.
- High School: $250 per sport; $750 family cap. Students on Federal Lunch program pay 1/2 price for reduced lunch, while free school lunch families have their fees waived.
- Middle School: $200 per sport, $750 family cap.
- Medina High School: Varsity/JV mixed sports $330, 9th grade sports $210
- Per student cap is $660 per year
- Middle Schools: $125 fee with a student cap per year of $250
- Annual family cap for High School/Middle School is $990
PORTAGE COUNTY
- High School: $100 fee covers entire school year. No family cap.
- Middle School: $50 fee covers entire school year. No family cap.
- Pay to participate fee is $200 for high school athletes, $100 per middle school athlete
- For high school athletics, the fee is $150 per athlete. Family cap is $450 for entire school year.
- For middle school athletics, the fee is $100 per athlete, $450 family cap for entire school year.
SUMMIT COUNTY
- High School: $100.00 for the first sport; $75.00 for second sport; $25.00 for third sport. Band: $75.00 There is an individual cap of $200.00 which includes Athletics and Marching Band.
- Middle School: Athletics: $50.00 for the first sport; $50.00 for second sport; $50.00 for third sport. No band fee. There is an individual cap of $200.00.
- Family cap (HS and MS): $500
- $75.00 per high school sport, $50.00 per middle school sport. No family cap.
- High School students will pay $200 per sport with an $800 family cap.
- Middle School students will pay $100 per sport with an $800 family cap.
- $280.00 per High School sport; $140.00 per Middle School sport
- *Reduced Lunch $210 and $105 respectively; **$140 and $70 respectively for free lunch
STARK COUNTY
- High School: $100 per sport; $300 family cap
- Middle School: $75 per sport; $300 family cap
- High School: $250 per year
- Middle School: $150 per year
- High School: $100
- Middle School: $50
Marlington Local School District
- For grades 7-12: $50 per athlete/per sport; $250 family cap per school year