EAST HAMPTON — Faced with the prospect of losing middle school sports to budget cuts, parents and community members rallied to raise the money needed to keep students on the field.
The operational costs for middle school sports exceed $70,000 per year, Superintendent Timothy Van Tasel said during a phone interview with CT Insider. While the district has a pay-to-play fee, it brought in only about $20,000, leaving an estimated $50,000 for the district to cover.
Pay-to-play is a fee districts charge families for their children to participate in sports. Districts across Connecticut, including Southington and Windsor, have implemented the fee as a way to help bridge gaps in athletic budgets. East Hampton’s pay-to-play fee is $275 per student, per sport, with a family cap of $700 per year, according to the district. Depending on how many donations and students each sport receives, this year’s pay-to-play fee can be reduced.
The community, including the middle school’s parent-teacher organization, has rallied to keep middle school sports running by securing sponsorships and donations, Van Tansel said. The East Hampton Soccer Club has funded boys and girls soccer, while cross-country and cheerleading are also covered, he said.
“It’s wonderful to know we can still operate this program,” he said.
Beth Zavattero, board president of the East Hampton Soccer Club, said that once the club became aware of the possible cut, members were eager to figure out how they could support the program. The club contacted Van Tasel and made the arrangement happen, said Zavattero, who has two sons who play at the middle school. She said she is thrilled they can continue to be on the team there.
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While the club funded the program, players will still pay the pay-to-play fee, which has been reduced from $275 to $200 per student.
“It’s important to me and the club that we reinvest into the club and the community and promote equity and accessibility for soccer,” she said.
The PTO and community volunteers are working to reduce the financial burden of keeping school sports available, said Heather Kaplan, president of the East Hampton Middle School PTO. They are leading fundraising efforts for different teams and reaching out to local businesses for support, she said.
Fundraising is still underway for baseball, softball and volleyball, with a different cost for each sport, Kaplan said. Volleyball's estimated price tag is $1,900, she said.
When school budgets face cuts, programs that directly benefit students, including athletics, arts, clubs and early education, are often among the first affected, Kaplan said.
The school district also continues to face broader budget challenges for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Voters have rejected the school district’s budget in three referendums, most recently on Aug. 5, with 1,342 “no” votes and 1,310 “yes” votes.
The Board of Finance voted Monday, Aug. 10, to send the same $39.5 million budget that failed by 32 votes on Aug. 5 to voters for a fourth referendum. The Town Council approved the proposal in a 6-1 vote Tuesday. The council set a town meeting for Aug. 19, where residents can comment on the budget, and a referendum for Aug. 26.
As the school district begins the new fiscal year without a voter-approved budget, the Town Council approved $3.2 million to fund school operations and other education expenses in September.