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On one hand, it would appear that "participation fees" are a plausible solution to the sports issue. About one-third of public schools nationally charge some type of fee to play sports, but none in RI of which I'm aware. However, there are multiple problems with this policy. In Warwick, participation rates are already so low in many sports that the revenue generated by participation fees would be irrelevant. Affordability is also an issue for many families, as is the issue of playing time. If you're paying $450 for your son to play football you'd like him to get playing time, which is not a guarantee. Finally, participation fees are a nightmare to collect and manage, administratively. I don't have the answer but I do know this: The school committee simply does not view high school athletics as anything approaching a priority. And that is not the fault of the city council,
Finally, two questions for Dave Testa, whose openness is admirable:
1. How much does the school department spend on substitute teachers over the course of a school year?
2, To what do you attribute the dramatic spike in teacher absences on virtually every Friday throughout the school year?
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