Wow! Walla Walla Waives Fees For Middle School Sports to Boost Participation

In a bold move that will have a lot of folks turning their heads, the Walla Walla School District has taken the step of waiving all participation fees, in order to encourage more students to participate in middle school activities and  sports. This will include Garrison and Pioneer Middle Schools.

Friday, the District released information saying all student activity and sports participation fees were being waived, in order to encourage more students getting involved. It's part of a strategic plan, says the District, to ensure success and student achievement.

According to the release from the District, Superintendent Wade Smith said the following:

"We need to remove barriers to participation, especially for our students living in poverty, We believe student engagement in positive school activities leads to improved academic outcomes and enhances the overall school experience."

According to the District website, students must pay a $10 ASB fee to play sports or do activities, and the cost of each sport is $30. So if a family has, for example, two children who play two sports each, this would save them $140 a year.

It is not known if this will be extended to the high school.  Most high school sport fees, such as Kamiakin and others in the Tri-Cities, are $40 per sport.