Families of student-athletes in Hays CISD will be required to pay athletics fees this year to help offset budget cuts and keep non-varsity teams running.
“We know that it's a hardship on families,” Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy said. “Nobody wants, in this economy, an additional expense. But we've [hopefully] built in some fail-safe in there so that we don't inadvertently have kids not able to participate because of the cost.”
The overview
Fees will range from $10-$315 per year, depending on a variety of factors such as grade level, number of sports and financial need. Families approved for reduced lunch will pay 50%, while those approved for free lunch will receive a 90% discount, Savoy said. Fees for middle school sports start lower than high school sports.
Athletics fees will not replace or cover other costs to participate in the sport. Rather, fees go directly into the district’s budget. Savoy said there is some flexibility for individual circumstances, and students should talk to their coach to figure out a solution.
“Even with those measures in place, if it's still something that a family cannot afford to do, talk to the coach, because our goal is we're going to try to figure something out,” he said. “The coach can set up payment plans, and we've got some tools that we can work with families on that.”
Some context
The district announced the athletics fees as a response to districtwide budget cuts. HCISD officials announced $12.25 million in budget cuts in March after voters rejected a higher tax rate at the polls in November.
Since 2021, HCISD has been pulling from the fund balance, which serves as the district’s savings account, to maintain operations while waiting for increased state funding. While the state approved over $8 billion in school funding last June, Savoy said it was not enough to compensate for inflation.
Following the cuts, which directly affected approximately 1,000 employees' jobs or compensation, the district adopted a surplus budget for fiscal year 2026-27. HCISD officials will add $12.25 million to the fund balance each year for the next five years without needing additional staffing cuts, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
“We didn't want to do any of this,” Savoy said. “It's just something that we have to do to be fiscally responsible and fiscally solvent.”
The district originally considered cutting non-varsity teams at some campuses to reduce costs, but decided it would prevent too many students from being able to participate. The fees were introduced to keep non-varsity teams and provide more involvement opportunities for more students.
“If you cut those teams, that guarantees that seats are lost for kids who don't make the [starting] team,” Savoy said.
Midlothian ISD near Dallas-Fort Worth is also implementing athletics fees this year, according to district documents.
In case you missed it
Savoy said a common question that the district received was why they did not implement fees for fine arts, such as band and orchestra. He said they did not want to add additional fees on top of more expensive participation costs.
“Fine arts already cost more for kids than athletics,” Savoy said. “A lot of your fine arts programs don't [provide equipment], and those families have to buy those.”
Fine arts payments go toward the cost of student participation, rather than going towards the district’s budget.
One more thing
Several HCISD campuses provide free meals to all students because more than half of the student body qualifies. Students at those schools must still fill out a free or reduced lunch application to receive reduced athletics fees.
