Results at a glance

Highlighting the impacts pay-to-play fees have for public school students

99%

the percentage of parents encouraging their child to play sports if participation is free

  • 63% of families making above 150,000 would encourage participation 

  • yet only 34% of families making 50,000 to 74,999 would encourage participation

  • High fees will contribute to educational inequalities

87%

the percentage of parents who believe schools should support the cost of athletics 

85.5%

the percentage of parents who expressed less enthusiasm for their child playing sports because of fees

When fees reach $500

Bar graph showing the percentage of parents encouraging participation in sports based on athletic fees, with higher encouragement at lower fees and decreasing as fees increase.

Opinions on participation fees

As potential pay-to-play fees rise, the rate of encouragement from responding parents decreased. This is true across all income levels.

A table showing different income ranges with columns labeled Free, $100, $250, $350, $500, $800, and $1,000. Rows indicate income brackets from under $25,000 to above $150,000, with corresponding numerical values in each cell.

This chart demonstrates that income level matters in wether or not a student will be encouraged to participate in sports.

Regardless of income level, overall encouragement rates dropped as potential pay-to-play fees increased.

High fees will keep students off of the field.

Encourament levels are lower at every cost point for families making under $25,000 compared to families making above $150,000 annually.

This chart directly shows the decrease in parental encouragment as fees rise. Once potential fees reached $500, the majority or respondants would discourage participation

Should Schools support the cost of athletics?

Parents say yes.

Bar chart titled 'Difference in encouragement level based on income' comparing encouragement levels for income groups below $25,000 and above $150,000 across different encouragement levels. Blue bars for under $25,000 and red bars for above $150,000 at income levels $0, $100, $250, $350, and $500.
Table displaying survey results about high school sports funding, with options for parents to ask for fees and for schools to fund programs, showing frequency counts, percentages, and cumulative percentages.

87% of responding parents selected that schools should fund school sports from their general budget, compared to only 13% saying parents should be asked to pay a fee to support athletic programs.

Parent opinions of sports--aside from costs

Parents belive that sports are beneficial to an aspect of academic success

  • respondents were asked if they saw sports as beneficial to attendance, grades, and likelyhood of graduating highschool

84% of parents said sports were benefical to at least one of the factors listed

61% of the parents surveyed participated in high school sports themselves.

Parents were asked to respond on a scale from strong disagreement to strong agreement about the following statements.

Survey results showing agreement levels on the benefits of children playing sports, including social development, education, and health, with horizontal bars and red circles indicating average scores.

Demonstrates an overall belief that sports are beneficial to students lives. This chart represents the average responses across all survey participants.

Survey Respondents- Demographic Information

Table showing income distribution with categories, frequency, percentage, valid percent, and cumulative percent, with ranges from under $25,000 to above $150,000.

Annual household income of respondents

Table showing race distribution with categories, frequencies, percentages, valid percentages, and cumulative percentages.

Self Described Race