Watertown-Mayer schools approve fee increases for athletics and activities
The Watertown-Mayer Public Schools board unanimously approved a $15 increase in activity fees and a $50 increase in the family fee cap at its June 17 meeting, aiming to boost the activities department's revenue to cover more of its operating costs.
The board voted unanimously to raise middle school sports fees to $115 and increase the family cap from $850 to $900, along with modest increases to adult and family athletic passes. The changes were designed to help the activities department cover more of its expenses, which currently run between 65-71% unfunded. "We'd never be in a position where we would take in 100% to cover our expenses," said Mr. Samansky, explaining that full cost recovery would require charging around $750 per sport. "Our goal would be at a minimum get into the 30s a little bit just to have that as kind of our bottom there," he added, referring to the target of having activity fees cover 30-35% of expenses.
The board also introduced a 90-cent credit card processing fee for admissions, while keeping ticket prices stable at $7 for adults and $5 for students. Boys hockey fees remain set by West Tonka at $375. The increases reflect rising costs the district cannot control, including referee fees set by referee associations.
In other business, the board unanimously approved updated student handbooks for the 2026-2027 school year. The new handbooks include guidelines for responsible artificial intelligence use at the middle and high school levels, reflecting the district's effort to "embrace the technology resources with responsibility," according to Mr. Girtton. The high school handbook also strengthened its extracurricular attendance policy, making students ineligible for activities if they have unexcused absences. "We have an issue with some of our athletes especially with unexcused absence," said Mr. Hennon, noting the problem has been worsening.
The board also approved the district's procurement policy on its final read, which sets spending limits of $5,000 to $25,000 for non-budget items by both the superintendent and business manager. Additionally, the board unanimously approved the annual resolution required to maintain membership in the Minnesota State High School League, which oversees high school athletics and activities statewide.
Our proprietary artificial intelligence agent analyzed publicly available documents including meeting agendas, minutes, and transcripts to write this story to help inform local residents. Feedback helps us improve, so please consider rating how we did with the thumbs up or down below.
Other Topics from This Document
Student Achievement, Programs, and Recognition
District Policy and Handbook Updates
Athletic and Activity Fee Schedule Adjustments
Facility Planning, Community Education, and Technology Initiatives
Legislative Session Impact and Financial Stewardship
Want to know when new stories arrive?
Enter your email to receive updates.
We will not use your email for any other purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time.