The price to participate in extracurricular activities next year will cost more for students in the Huber Heights City School district.

The school board voted to increase participation fees for extracurricular activities such as the marching band, drill team and cheerleading from $185 to $225, while the fee for co-curricular activities (student council, clubs, etc.) will jump up from $55 to $75.

There will be no family cap.

“We want to make them as self-sufficient as possible, where money from the general fund is not supporting these activities,” said Sue Gunnell, Huber Heights Superintendent. “It’s very important to have these activities for students to be engaged in after school. However, with continuing budget deficits, it’s important to move them to being as self-sufficient as possible.”

In January, the school board agreed to increase athletic fees from $225 to $750 per student, per sport, with no family cap.

Extracurriculars and athletics annually cost $771,500 from the general fund, according to Treasurer Ann Bernardo.

Bernardo said the participation fees are projected to bring in approximately $580,000 next year — $523,000 for athletics and $57,000 for extracurricular and co-curricular activities.

Kirsten Showers, the high school’s director of bands, said she was “very relieved” to find out that the participation fee only increased to $225. She expected it to be around $700, similar to the athletic fee.

This year, the marching band and Warriorettes (drill team) have a combined 140 members in grades 9-12. Showers said she doesn’t know from year to year how many students will be in the program.

“I think it will still affect us because there are people who struggle to make the fees no matter what,” she said. “But at least it’s more attainable than what it could have been.”

The district will have an additional 9.95-mill operating levy on the ballot May 7, which is expected to generate $6.7 million in additional revenue over a continuous period. An 8-mill levy was defeated in November.

Gunnell said that sports and other extracurriculars will not be cut even if the levy is defeated. If the levy passes, the school board could look at reducing the participation fees, Gunnell said.

“We will always keep listening and be aware of what the needs of the community are,” Gunnell said. “At this point in time, we want to maintain opportunities, not cut them, and find ways to make them self-supporting.”