Drama Productions Cancelled––

NHS Students Protest

Activity Fees

By Larissa Lytwyn

To adapt to the $49,407,147 budget approved by voters last May after $1.29 million was cut in the wake of two budget rejections, the school board implemented various changes including an expanded pay-to-participate program for extracurricular activities estimated to generate $150,000 from Reed Intermediate, Newtown Middle School, and Newtown High School.

While student activities cost about $13,000 at Reed Intermediate and $11,900 for Newtown Middle School, maintaining programs at Newtown High School costs the school district about $35,000. While students in sports and marching band have paid annual activity-sustaining fees, extracurricular activities (excluding those directly connected to the school, such as yearbook, the student newspaper, Technology Club, and the charity-based Key Club) now come at a $40 cost.

Affected organizations include the Color Guard, Debate Club, intramural sports, the Jazz Ensemble, Quiz Bowl, Science Club, and Math Team.

Many of the estimated 80 to 85 percent of Newtown High School students involved in extracurricular programs are engaged in multiple activities.

While Reed Intermediate and Newtown Middle School have already collected their $40 fees, the fees at Newtown High School have not been collected. Those fees cover activities that are part of a much larger and complex system.

The fees prompted the cancellation of Newtown High School’s fall play, Noises Off!, and spring musical, Les Miserables, after advisors Tom Swetts and Sabrina Post resigned in protest. The student-produced play’s director, senior Leslie Greenfield, said Noises Off! was already in rehearsals when the fees were mandated.

Leslie represents hundreds of students protesting the fees. A petition against the implementation fees has so far collected more than 500 signatures. Even students not directly affected by the costs are supporting the students who are, said Leslie, who has been leading regular student meetings designed to combat the new costs with Alana Jacoby, also a senior, among others.

“This is ridiculous!” said Leslie. “Our ‘techies’ [workers centered on set design, lighting or other technical aspects of a theater production] put in countless hours for us — we should be paying them!”

“What has happened is unconscionable,” said Jeanetta Miller at a recent student meeting. The English Department chairman wanted to emphasize that her presence was in support of her son, Farley. “Being involved in theater really drew him out,” she said. “He used to be very shy. Now he has more confidence.” Ms Miller’s voice swelled with pride as she discussed her son’s achievements in managing the auditorium’s complex sound system, among other accomplishments.

Some students, including Leslie and Michael Compagnoni, president of the Paintball Club, an organization not affected by the fees but in wholehearted support of those who are, met with Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff recently to discuss the issue.

According to Leslie, Dr Pitkoff promised not to implement the fees until November, allowing time for students and administration to work together to form a compromise. Despite her understanding that the issue would be removed from the October 14 school board meeting and taken up in November, the item still appeared on the board’s agenda this week.

Michael and Ed Wolf, president of the Technology Club, were among only a handful of students who showed up at the board meeting as a result. He expressed disappointment about the issue being on the agenda after understanding that the fees would not actually be dealt with until November.

Newtown High School Principal Bill Manfredonia spoke at length about student concerns over the issue. “Students recognize that they are, in many cases, already paying a lot to participate in some of these organizations,” he said. Marching band parents, for example, pay $195 each year for their children to have uniforms, instruments, and transportation. After paying the $195 fee in June, however, this year’s participants were expected to pay an additional $40.

In addition, Mr Manfredonia said, students are expected to pay $40 in organizations that require little or no money to run. “When a student comes to me with an idea to form a new club,” said Mr Manfredonia, “the first thing I ask is if they have an advisors.”

Advisors are paid stipends ranging from $1,800 to $4,300. Most of these advisors, Mr Manfredonia said, use their money to help support the club. The teacher leading the Paintball Club, for example, uses the money to buy supplies and transport students to sites. “We’ve already been on four trips,” said Michael. “We’ll be having another at the end of this month.”

Mr Manfredonia also explained that many students believe that their organizations provide considerable service to the community. Drama and music clubs, for example, perform special shows for seniors and other community organizations. In addition, Drama Club participants may work for only month-long periods on set and lighting or even days ushering or collecting tickets. “They don’t believe they should be asked to pay this set fee when they are only doing a few days or weeks worth of work,” said Mr Manfredonia.

Board member Andy Buzzi and Vice Chair Vincent Saviano were both troubled by Mr Manfredonia’s words. “I wish you had said this to us in June,” said Mr Buzzi. The expanded pay-to-participate fees were instituted in late June as an alternative from the programs being cut completely, he reminded. Parents who had attended the meetings said that they would pay the fees in order to save the program.

One parent, Maureen Berk, however, said the details of what the June fee would be was never clear, nor was the process by which the fee would be instituted. Mr Manfredonia added that at one meeting he had spoken about the potentially divisive impact of a fee being instituted. “Never to this detail,” Mr Buzzi returned.

School Board Chair Elaine McClure frequently expressed her concern over the late-timed notification to students, especially since the decision was made in June. “Why wasn’t it in the handbook?” she asked.

“Most of the clubs don’t begin meeting until the end of September,” said Mr Manfredonia. “And the handbook is printed in April.”

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alice Jackson admitted that, in the context of a rushed last few weeks trying to establish a workable budget, only 24 hours was given to create an expanded pay-to-participate program.

When several parents suggested instituting a collegelike “activities fee” for all students to pay Board member Earl Gordon said that the motion would be illegal. He did not detail why.

Mr Manfredonia said that he would meet with Dr Pitkoff and several students Friday, October 17, to provide a solution to the problem. “We know [the board] has a bottom line,” Mr. Manfredonia said.

A special meeting in November, said Ms McClure, will be named to vote on such a solution.

“It’s important that these students are part of the democratic process,” she said. “I want to see [Noises Off!] performed,” she added.