The possibility of charging Saint Xavier School student-athletes fees to participate on athletic teams at Junction City High School arose Monday.

The Geary USD 4-7-5 Board of Education discussed the issue at length before approving a motion continuing the two-year cooperative agreement with Saint Xavier with no fees for the current school year, and with fees to be considered for the 2016-17 school term.  District staff will bring a recommendation to the Board next May for the 2016-17 school term.

The president of the activities committee at Saint Xavier, Delores Vollenweider, was a the board meeting Monday. “I am very pleased that we got no fees for this coming year, however even the consideration for fees does not make me very happy. I am a taxpaying member of this community and I don’t have the option to opt out of my taxes when they raise the mill levy to support ( USD ) 475 schools.”

Vollenweider confirmed she will take the information to the principal at Saint Xavier School, Shawn Augustine, and start talking to parents to see if perhaps any future fees can be prevented.

The general fee range proposed during Monday’s discussion went from approximately $250 t0 $595 per athlete, depending on the sport. They were based on a five year cost average.

Saint Xavier student / athletes have been able to try out and compete on JCHS sports teams under cooperative agreements in the past at no charge. The overall numbers doing that have been relatively small.

Matt Westerhaus, Junction City High School Athletic Director, noted USD 475 gets no fulltime equivalency funding from the state for those Saint Xavier athletes, but the school district has covered all of the expenses for those athletes who have participated every two years.

Concerning fees, Westerhaus told JC Post that he didn’t know that it had been decided that the fees are needed. “But I think it was great conversation to have, and have people understand that those who are attending Saint X, which is a private institution, that’s their choice to do so, do have the opportunity to participate in programs in USD 475, and the school has not had to pay for any expenses associated with those. ” Westerhaus added it’s great that the Saint Xavier students do have opportunities.

JC Post checked with the principal at Saint Xavier School, Shawn Augustine, to see how many students from that school play on JCHS sports teams. He confirmed the numbers were one student each of the last two school years, and three students three years ago.