Extracurricular fees set for Utah charters

The State Board of Education, during its meeting Friday, approved a rule change regarding charter school and online student participation in extracurricular activities.

Charter school officials have been concerned about the participation rule, which sets fees the charter schools would pay to school districts.

"I would like to see some of the fees a little bit lower," Charter Board president Brian Allen said after Friday's vote.

However, Allen admitted the rule needed to be in place for the school year and called the action "a starting point."

Depending on district enrollment, Tier 1 sports — football — requires the charter school to spend $200 to $600 per student. Tier 2 sports costs, including baseball, softball, basketball, swimming, diving, wrestling, soccer and volleyball, range from $100 to $300, depending on district enrollment.

Tier 3 sports costs, including golf, tennis, cross country and track, range from $75 to $150.

The new extracurricular costs cannot be passed on to the charter students. The charter school would be responsible for the costs. However, the charter school could opt to not have their students participate in sports.

Allen said he is confident the state board will evaluate the fees and change them if they become cost-prohibitive. "I have confidence the board will do the right thing," he said.