Board members from the South Whidbey School District will vote on which option to pursue for South Whidbey High School athletics at the meeting today, May 23.

Athletic Director Scott Mauk proposed a $100 per sport fee, double the present fee, to help cover rising athletics costs. Officiating fees increase annually, and transportation costs continue to rise, which will hit the high school budget a little harder than usual because the building budget has to be cut by 5 percent.

Athletics fees at the high school have not been raised for more than five years, and the current rate of $50 per sport, with the third sport fee waived, is among the cheapest in South Whidbey’s athletic division, the Cascade Conference, which includes Cedarcrest, Archbishop Murphy and Sultan high schools.

The options Mauk proposes are the $100 fee, an $80 fee or an $80 for all sports except football, which would pay $100. Associated Student Body (ASB) fees will remain $20, except for the $80 across-the-board sports fee option, which will have a $25 ASB fee. ASB costs fund student activities such as dances and assemblies.

The school board will also get another look at the revised athletics code. Mauk updated the language to clarify the academic eligibility, penalty and appeal processes, as well as include an anti-hazing policy.

After some delay, a pair of tabled district policies defining the key functions of the board and excused/unexcused absences will be approved. Board member Damian Greene motioned to table the policies at the district’s previous business meeting in April to amend the language.