A Necessary Evil

September 18, 2007

Pretty much everyone in Novi saw it coming. We just didn’t want it to. It had to be done sooner or later. We just hoped it was later. But the inevitable has finally happened: Novi’s financial crisis has forced them to install a pay to play system, the last KVC school to do so.

The system goes like this: $150 per sport, $300 maximum per individual, $600 maximum per family (this fee can be reduced or eliminated if a student qualifies for the school’s free or reduced lunch program). This money goes to the athletic department to help cover the Wildcats’ many expenses. The price was set by the school board; they wanted to be in the middle of the pack: nothing too high, but still high enough to cover some costs.

Surely having to pay $150 per sport would lead to a lot of complaints from parents, right? Wrong. According to Novi’s AD (athletic director) Curt Ellis, the school has received only four complaints about the program. And those weren’t even about the payment. They were just about how the program was communicated.

Apparently, parents seem to understand the financial crisis the district is in. Plus, if you compare Novi’s pay to play system to the rest of the KVC, it is pretty favorable. In terms of price, Novi is right in the middle. Pinckney and Hartland are the highest at $175 and South Lyon is an extremely low $80 (Milford and Lakeland also have $150 charges).

What gives Novi's schools the edge over the competition is at the middle school level. Novi’s recreation millage allows it to avoid having to charge for middle school sports. Every other KVC school has a fee, ranging from $40-$100. That couldn’t be better for parents who now don’t have to pay lots of money for non-cut middle school sports.

But what about the students? Did the $150 price tag keep their parents from letting them do something they enjoy? Did the usual number of kids go out for a sport? The answer is simple: turnout for fall sports was not affected at all.

Soccer tryouts were normal size, the football team is just as big as ever, and there were even more cross country runners than the year before. The results couldn’t be better for the district. They successfully started a pay to play system without turning anyone away. And students can keep on playing.

Some kids, however did voice some concerns when initially hearing about the new system. Primarily, what would happen to their money if they happened to get injured. But that has been taken care of. The situation would be looked at by a case to case basis, but chances are some money will be refunded based on the amount of time missed.

Other students wondered if they would get their money back if they quit the team. The answer is no. The form you sign when you pay the money clearly states this.