By Megan Kelley

Review Writer

During the Aug. 14 LOCS board meeting, Trustee Jake Singer addressed his fellow board members with concerns about a recent increase in pay to play costs.

During the March 27 meeting the board was presented with a district fee schedule, which was then approved by the board.

“As a parent, I was at the athletics parents meeting and I was surprised to see the pay to participate and athletics fee was greater than the amount that we had approved as a board,” said Singer.

Singer stated that the board approved $325, but the price he was presented at the athletics parent meeting was $335.

With Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance, John Fitzgerald absent from the meeting, Superintendent Marion Ginopolis addressed Singer’s questions and concerns.

“It’s not atypical for fluctuation in that. There is no board policy or law that we have to bring it to the board for approval,” said Ginopolis. “Here’s why that has changed; the lunch fees have also changed just so you’re aware. What John (Fitzgerald) is saying is that on an annual basis we do present the list of district fees…the reason the athletic pay to participate fee went up by $10 is it reflects the costs changes associated with online transactional and handling costs for processing the payments. That was the major reason that John (Fitzgerald) made the change. He said, ‘Changes have been made to these two fees only, and were done so based on the dollar value of the fees.’”

Singer stated that he understood the fees associated with online payment but suggests that parents would likely decide to pay by check rather than online if they knew there would be a fee added to paying online.

“Now even our families that are paying by check are paying that extra $10 even when they’re not causing the district to incur cost,” said Singer. “My other concern with that was, I’m a new board member, but I felt like that was presented to people and that’s something they could see and they could rely on…and to have that then changed and it wasn’t brought back to the board before it was presented to the public was troublesome.”

Ginopolis was clear in stating that there was no malicious intent in the cost increase but agrees that the board should look into a different procedure moving forward.

Elementary lunch fees increased 20 cents and middle and high school lunch fees increased 25-30 cents, according to the district website.

Treasurer Jim Weidman suggested they table the discussion and revisit it the next time the district does it budget in the spring.