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Starting next year, the price tag for participating in activities throughout the Chisago Lakes Middle School and High School will be rising.

The Chisago Lakes school board approved a proposed increase in all activity fees starting with the 2024-25 school year during their regular meeting on Monday, January 8.

Of the 28 sports offered at the high school, 26 of them currently cost $205 per athlete. For 25 of those sports, the price will be increasing to $250 per athlete, with the lone exception being football, which is rising to $300 per player. Both girls and boys hockey, which are currently $350 per athlete, will be increased to $500. Middle school volleyball and boys and girls basketball will increase $25 from $125 to $150.

Fine Arts fees, including the Fall Musical, One Act Play, Marching Band, Speech and others will increase from $120 to $150, with the middle school play going from $100 to $120. 

With the numbers currently in athletics, the approximate amount generated from the increases will be just short of $75,000.

According to Activities Director Jodi Otte, the current average cost to fund each athlete across the district is $867.37 and each student in fine arts is $424. “We know the programs will never fully fund themselves, so this is something we can do to supplement them and help,” she said at the meeting. She noted that these fee increases at the high school level will put Chisago Lakes more in line with neighboring and similar sized high schools. She said North Branch athletes currently pay $230 in comparable activities, and Zimmerman and St. Francis are at $250.

The hockey and football increases are bigger, Otte said, because of the rising costs associated with those sports. “Rates at the hockey arena continue to go up, including ice rates, game rates, locker room lease and parking lot lease.” She also said that with football, all pads and helmets are provided, which is unique to that sport. “New football helmets are between $300-400 and have a life of five years, so there is a constant cycle there,” Otte explained. And even then, during their lifetime, helmets need to be reconditioned as well.

Under the new fee schedule, students who receive free and reduced lunches would still be eligible for free activities, and there remains no family cap on activity spending.

In other school board business:

Newly elected school board member Sarah Aadland was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting. Aadland had been serving in an appointed seat since Cory Spencer’s resignation early last year, but after winning the election in November, she officially took her spot.

Officers and committee assignments remained largely unchanged from last year, with each vote being unanimous. Lori Berg was voted as the board chairperson, Jeff Lindeman was elected vice chair, Jen Penzenstadler was elected the clerk and Brenda Carlson the treasurer.

Superintendent Brian Dietz noted that the district’s effort to get more student teachers in their building has been working, and there are three new educators in the building as part of their college experience. “When there are more adults in the classroom, everyone wins,” he said. He also explained that he’s hoping by getting future educators in the buildings around the district, it will allow them to see the good things that are going on and potentially attract them back when they finish their degree.

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