South Windsor High Raises Athletic Fees

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Families of South Windsor High School athletes will pay $50 more per sport this school year as the district shifts a larger share of athletics costs to parents.

The standard participation fee is now $175 per sport, up from $125 last year, according to the district’s athletics registration page. That amounts to a 40 percent increase.

The annual family cap for standard sports increased from $500 to $550.

Boys ice hockey, co-op girls ice hockey and gymnastics will cost $450 per athlete, up from $400. The family cap for those sports rose from $800 to $850.

The new fee structure took effect July 1. School officials said the change was made to bring South Windsor’s fees in line with similar school districts and address budget needs.

The Board of Education’s approved 2026-27 budget provides more detail. High school athletics program spending, excluding personnel, was reduced by $22,849, or 6.78 percent. Budget notes say the reduction reflects costs being shifted to families through higher pay-to-play fees.

South Windsor’s standard rate is higher than the fees recently adopted in neighboring Windsor, although the two districts use different systems.

As Patch previously reported, Windsor charges $120 for Tier 1 sports with higher per-participant costs and $100 for Tier 2 programs. Football, basketball and swimming are among the Tier 1 examples, while middle school track and flag football fall under Tier 2.

That makes South Windsor’s standard high school fee $55 more than Windsor’s Tier 1 charge and $75 more than its Tier 2 fee.

Windsor set annual caps of $360 per student and $650 per family. South Windsor’s family cap for standard high school sports is $550. A South Windsor student playing three standard sports would pay $525 for the year.

Windsor expects its new fees to produce $70,425 in net revenue, covering about 35 percent of a $203,000 athletics budget cut. The district plans to close the remaining gap through other measures, including higher ticket prices, reduced event staffing and the elimination of some outside contracts.

Windsor students who qualify for free lunch receive a full athletic fee waiver, while those who qualify for reduced-price lunch receive a 50 percent waiver. South Windsor directs families seeking a fee exemption or reduction to contact Athletic Director David Sytulek.

About 60 percent of South Windsor High School students participate on at least one athletic team each year, according to the district budget. The school offers 50 varsity and sub-varsity teams across 30 sports.

Families will be billed through ParentSquare after their student makes a team. The fee must be paid before the first contest or the student-athlete will be ineligible to compete, according to the district.

Payments may be made through ParentSquare or by cash or check at the high school.

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