Throughout the years, Walpole High School has had success in nearly every domain, most notably the Athletics Department. However, with budget cuts looming over the town, the Walpole school system is being forced to make some difficult decisions. The future of many programs throughout the school district are at risk of either being eliminated or severely affected. Although it is necessary for the town to save money, the means of doing so should not be through raising athletic fees or making cuts to the athletic budget. The only foreseeable solution to creating more revenue and maintaining the quality of the schools would be to pass the proposed override.
Outside of the classroom, students’ opportunities to participate in sports and extracurricular activities will be threatened. Athletic fees will raise potentially to $550 per student, per sport. An athletic fee will burden the families of athletes, and it could make it impossible for some athletes to participate in sports. If students cannot afford to participate in sports, they will have a less competitive transcript and competing in sports at a college level will be nearly impossible. Senior Captain of the Swimming and Diving team Becky Idman is planning to swim for the University of Maine at Orono next year. “High school swim helped me so much when it came to college,” said Idman. “Recruiters are often at meets and it is important that they get a chance to see you on. When you take that away, you do not have that real opportunity to show college recruiters your true ability.” With an atheltic fee over $500, the opportunities Idman mentioned will be impossible for some students to attain. High school sports are an essential part in many students lives, and it would not be fair to limit their access to sports through extremely high users fees. Although the fees may seem extreme, they are necessary in order to close Walpole’s $1.3 million budget gap if the override does not pass.
In 2010, Mansfield faced a similar budget situation as Walpole. Two years ago, Mansfield planned to eliminate all sports, after school programs, and many staff members from their school district in an effort to close their $1.8 million budget gap. While some town members suspected that the cuts were part of an effort to pass the override later that spring, most were shocked by the potential eliminations. Cutting sports alone would have saved Mansfield over $600,000. However, Mansfield’s override was passed, allowing students to continue sports and after school activities. Walpole, on the other hand, is currently looking to eliminate a likely $25,000 from the athletic budget, while gaining $150,000 from raised fees and tuitions. Although some people in Mansfield thought the cuts made to their town were part of a scare tactic, the override passed and eliminated their budget gap. While Walpole assures town members that the proposed cuts and fees are not a scare tactic (but rather the future of Walpole if the override does not pass), they do make an override look like the most promising option. In order to avoid a situation as extreme as Mansfield’s, Walpole needs to pass the override to regain control over the schools’ budget deficit and to improve the schools in general.
An override would cost the average home around $330 per year—less than the proposed athletic fee for a single season. Although not all homes in Walpole will be paying an athletic fee, the future of Walpole looks bleak without an override. If the override passes, the budget gap will not only be closed, but the school system would generally improve. High school students will have stronger transcripts, making them more successful in the college admission process.
The $330 the average homeowner will pay if the override passes is a small price to pay in comparison to if the override fails. Without an override, the quality of every school in Walpole will be severely affected. Some students will not be able to participate in sports, and their overall experience will be diminished. The override is necessary in order for the Walpole school system to uphold its successful reputation, and improving upon it will be impossible if the override does not pass.
