Designer: Tamryn Taub
Since 2011, students in the Olentangy School District have been required to pay a participation fee of $25 in order to officially join a club. However, this regulation was not administered in OOHS and OOMS until this year. This change can further support club advisers and pay for their commitment to their clubs, but it can also deter students from wanting to join and participate in the activities that our school takes pride in.
For the 2026-27 school year and beyond, club fees in all Olentangy Schools will be enforced, including at the high school. If a student is joining a club listed in the supplemental salary list, then they must pay the $25 dues on PowerSchool as payment for a pay-to-participate club.
These fees are expected to become a part of the “standard operating procedures for all OLSD schools,” as stated by the Academic Chief Officer Michelle Blackley. This change will be brought to the Board of Education to be assessed and approved. Because advisers had varying needs for funds, fees were not consistent throughout the district. This shift will allow for fair treatment of all activities within all Olentangy Schools.
Some teachers worry that having a fee to participate may deter students from joining clubs. Students may not be willing to pay for something that they aren’t completely sure they would enjoy if they have no prior experience with the club.
“If a student really wants to join a club but is worried about this cost, I would encourage them to talk to their club adviser,” Assistant Principal Larissa Sauder said.
The required $25 will cover club advisers’ salaries. Teachers who oversee clubs pay for the materials, time and transportation within their club as an out-of-pocket expense. The new fees will keep teachers motivated to continue their clubs and provide the school with a larger variety of extracurricular activities. These fees are intended to compensate for the cost of supplemental contracts amongst the school’s club advisers.
“Providing these experiences requires a significant commitment of district resources, including safe meeting spaces, supportive staff and advisers who give their time and expertise to supervise and guide students,” Blackley said.
Students must understand the work put into each club and the mutual benefits that come out of them. Teachers work off the clock to offer an experience that isn’t typically practiced or broadened in the school’s schedule. Some clubs may require an additional expense to cover the club’s supplies as well.
However, many students and parents believe this pay to advisers should come from the district, rather than student fees. “We are already charging students, especially with clubs like Model UN, in which students have to pay for things like catering, t-shirts, renting out conference centers and booklet printing,” Model UN General Assembly President and senior Nathan Hariths said. “We have heard from multiple students who have decided to not participate in Model UN because of these fees.”
With large clubs already having such a heavy tax on students, the additional fee to participate in a club is not always an accessible option for students. This will hurt numbers within clubs, especially those that rely on participants to operate. As more people drop out of clubs, they are excluded from the opportunities that come from club participation.
“Students are just not willing to pay any extra money to the school. Many clubs already ask enough from them, and it isn’t fair for students to be asked for more,” Hariths said.
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