At LZHS, students are often encouraged to join extracurricular activities.  Some students may be deterred from joining due to costs, however.  Administrators must continue to encourage participation in clubs and sports but also find a way to reduce high activity fees.

Research has shown that students who are in clubs and sports develop better social skills. Also, a 2005 College Board study even found that students who participated in extracurricular activities scored higher on the SAT.   

            The District must recognize these benefits and help fund activities to encourage even more participation in extracurricular activities.

            Many clubs and all sports at LZHS require students to pay a fee to help cover costs such as the sponsor’s stipend, transportation, or equipment. This fee does not include t-shirts or club-sponsored activities that could cost even more money out of pocket.  While some activities are free, many are not.

            Most extracurriculars fundraise to raise money for their activities, but they still cannot be expected to cover all costs.  Because of this, the financial burden falls on the families.

In this time of recession, some students may not be able to afford to participate in extracurricular activities.  Families with multiple children at the high school bear an even greater burden.  All students should have the same opportunity to join clubs and sports, but financial reasons make it so they do not.

“[If there was a financial issue] my hope would be that there would be a conversation with either the parent and/or the student and the activity sponsor to help better understand why the monies are being raised and what they’re being used for, and if there’s truly an issue beyond that, that those issues are worked out,” Ryan Rubenstein, assistant principal of student activities and facilities, said.

            While the administration does not want money to interfere with participation, the District currently offers no concrete solutions to helping students who cannot afford to join activities.  Without a written policy, students might never consider talking to administration in fear of embarrassment or rejection.

            The District has faced their own financial hardships and suffered from budget reductions. Because of this, funding clubs may seem challenging, but they must explore their options in keeping activity costs low to help encourage participation and help families.

            LZHS already has a high percentage of students who are involved in extracurriculars, but they can continue to increase this number if they fund more activities.

            Newer clubs especially need help funding, because they have no initial funds to cover the costs of activities. This can harm the growth of new clubs because members are likely to pay more than in older, better established clubs.

             Even well-established clubs with regular fundraisers require some financial help from the school.  If the District supplied extracurriculars with some financial support, clubs and sports could spend more time on the actual activity and less time on fundraising.

             The administration should continue encouraging students to join activities, however, they must find a way to help subsidize costs to get more students participating.