Letters: When did school sports become pay to play?

The cost for our children to participate in school sports seems to be rising at a rate that is outpacing a rise in income for the average family. This leads some parents to ask questions like: “Doesn’t the school get funds to operate? Why am I paying to enter sports games when I already paid a sports fee?”

According to usnews.com, the Caddo Parish Public School System generates approximately $500 million annually. This translates into $6.6 million on instructions, $4.8 million on support services and $434.6 million on “other” expenses. I’d hope that some of the “other” includes bus maintenance and school building maintenance. According to caddoschools.org, there are approximately 37,000 students in the system. We charge most of them $20-$40 annually for “school fees,” and for those in sports there is an additional fee and for the thousands of family members that attend games, an additional $7-$10 per person per game.