Princeton Middle School students and Princeton High School students will pay an annual activity fee to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities under a new policy introduced by the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education.
The school board held first reading on the policy, which sets the annual fee at $100 for middle school students and $150 for high school students, at its June 16 meeting. Upon final approval at a subsequent board meeting, it will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year.
A student may participate in as many sports and extracurricular activities as he or she wants during the school year. It is a one-time, annual fee. A refund will not be provided if a student quits during the course of the sport or activity.
The fee will be waived for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The family of a student that is experiencing extenuating financial hardship may discuss individual accommodations with the school principal.
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 about $200,000. It will be used to offset certain cost, such as coach and adviser salaries; equipment; facility use; official or referee fees; and event registration fees.
It will offset the costs of school or facility or field preparation and maintenance; insurance costs; security; and other expenses incurred by the school district in relation to the activity.
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 extracurricular activities outside of the regular school instruction program.
“However, with reduced or limited revenue and increased expenses, the board must consider alternative revenue options to support school-sponsored activities,” the policy states.
“Therefore, the (school board) authorizes the establishment of a ‘student activity fee’ program to create a supplemental revenue source to maintain and support school-sponsored activities,” according to the policy.
