Should Students Pay to Play?

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Should Students Pay to Play?

Public schools are supposed to be free. But many of them no longer are. More and more schools are charging for activities and supplies.

Many schools now charge a pay-to-play fee. A pay-to-play fee bills parents for their children's after-school sports activities. The fee helps to pay for equipment and coaching. It also pays for bus rides to and from games. State and local taxes used to cover students' activities and supplies. But the cost of education has gone up. At many schools, tax money can no longer pay for everything. Many schools are in a tough spot. They want to provide students with the same activities they offered in the past. But they don't have the money to pay for them. Are pay-to-play fees the answer to the problem? Read the debate. Then decide for yourself.

Yes! Students should pay to play

A lack of money has forced some schools to charge students and parents for courses and books. Free books and classes are more important than free sports programs. Schools should charge students for sports before they make them pay for books and classes. After all, education should come first at schools. Schools don't want to charge for sports, but many have to. "Where else are you going to turn?" asked Gary Frisch, a school official. "The pressure [to find money] moves somewhere.... It's falling on the shoulders of parents and students." Some schools, like those in Chicago, get extra money from their states. The money is given to them because many of their students are poor. Often the schools that get extra funding have lower pay-to-play fees. Some charge no activity fees. Other schools and states should use that system.

Fees are good for school sports. They weed out players who aren't serious about a sport. That makes teams stronger. Fees also make students put a higher value on playing.

No! Students should not pay to play

Sports are important. They teach students about leadership and teamwork. If schools charge fees, they should not limit fees to just sports. They should charge for classes, too.

Experts say that many teens weigh too much. Sports help students become fit. Fees discourage students from playing sports. Students who know they might sit on the bench might not try out for sports if there is a fee.

Schools need more money. Fees are not the answer to the problem, though. Schools should hold more fund-raisers to raise money. Fund-raisers can be fun for students. They also teach students about working as a team.

Some schools don't make poor families pay sports fees. That helps students who are willing to ask for help. But many students are too ashamed to say they can't afford the fees. Sports fees are unfair to those students. Students need the freedom to try different sports. That way they can find out which sport suits them best. Fees keep many students from developing their talents.