Princeton High School and Princeton Middle School students will pay an annual activities fee to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities under a new policy approved by the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education.
The school board signed off on the policy at its July 21 meeting. The policy sets the fee at $150 for high school students and $100 for middle school students. It will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year.
A student may participate in as many sports or extracurricular activities as he or she wants during the school year. It is a one-time, annual fee. A refund will be made if the student signs up but does not participate in any sport or activity. No refund will be made if a student quits during the course of the sport or activity.
The fee will be waived for students who quality for free or reduced lunch. The family of a student that is experiencing financial hardship may discuss individual accommodations with their school principal.
“The student activity fee is separate and apart from any other fees that an activity may charge for a field trip or special event,” according to the new policy.
The issue of a student activity fee was discussed earlier this year in connection with the 2026-27 school district budget. School district officials were staring down a revenue gap between the amount of money needed for the budget and the amount that could be raised through property taxes.
The activity fee is expected to generate an estimated $200,000. It will be used to offset costs, including coach and adviser salaries; equipment; facility use; official or referee fees; and event registration fees.
The fee applies to any activity that is funded by the school district.
The new policy states that the school board recognizes the value of athletic competition and co-curricular activities outside of the classroom. However, with reduced or limited revenue and increased expenses, the school board must consider alternative revenue options to support school-sponsored activities.
