The Daniel Boone School Board has approved for its high school marching band to once again be a co-curricular activity, beginning with the 2017-18 school year.
Board President Michael D. Wolfe said March 27 that the band program was changed to extracurricular for the 2011-12 budget.
That meant that marching band participants were required to pay the new activity fee, which was also approved in the 2011-12 budget. Their participation was also no longer a graded class.
The board had revised its Extracurricular, Cocurricular Activities and Athletics policy that spring to include extracurricular activity fees.
Boone’s fee structure remains at $150 for a student’s first extracurricular activity, and $75 for their second activity. Three or more activities are free. The family cap is $500, and there is a yearly one-time club fee of $50 per student.
Students who receive free and reduced lunches are exempt from paying the extracurricular activity and club fees.
Board member Connor Kurtz said March 27 that revenue from the marching band activity fee was $7,800 – when the new policy was instituted five years ago and when participation was 140 students.
Over the years, participation has decreased to the current 40 students. The current fee revenue is about $4,000 a year. Board members expressed disappointment that band participation has decreased to the current level.
“No activity fee will now be assessed for marching band,” said Wolfe on April 24, adding, “hopefully that will generate more interest.”
The board unanimously approved on April 24 the revised 2017-18 School Event Calendar.
That calendar was presented to the public at the board’s April 10 meeting. Following two years of starting school after Labor Day, the first student day of the new school year will be Aug. 28.
Snow make-up days are scheduled for three days during the Easter break, as well as three days in June.
The 2018 Prom has been scheduled for Saturday, April 21, ending the tradition of a Friday night prom that is preceded by a half day for all students.
Board members approved the transfer of $10,000 from the district’s general fund in order to create the DBASD Scholarship Fund, “in consideration of prior contract concessions by the District Superintendent [James P. Harris] and to further the educational mission of the District by motivating student academic achievement and good citizenship.”
