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WESTPORT, Conn. Parents may soon be shelling out more money for their children to shoot hoops in the Westport. Registration fees for Westport Youth Basketball may cost between $5 and $25 more this upcoming season, depending on which grade division a child falls under.
The fee increases were approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission Monday and will voted on by the Board of Selectmen Wednesday afternoon.
This is the first fee increase in five years and they are really quite reasonable, said Stuart McCarthy, director of Westport Parks and Recreation.
The largest fee increase of $25 was approved for the high school division. Currently, the registration fee for this division is $110, McCarthy said. The increase would boost the fee to $135.
The program fee for children in first grade and under is set to increase by $5 from $65 to $70, McCarthy said. The cost for the second and third-grade division is slated to increase from $80 to $90. Finally, an increase of $10 was approved to be applied to the fourth through eighth-grade division, bringing the fee from $125 to $135.
Approximately 1,500 children are registered in the program annually, McCarthy said. While enrollment is steady and has shown growth over the years, he said the cost of running the program has increased.
The reason for these increases is simple: costs are going up not only for staff, but also for equipment and uniforms, he said.
If the selectmen also approve these increases, parents could expect to see these new fees in September, when program registration opens, McCarthy said. The season begins in November.
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