LEBANON — High school sports are full of lines, whether they be starting lines, finish lines, sidelines, yard lines, foul lines, blue lines or service lines.

But before any of those can come into play, there is a much more important line local players have to address — the one that reads “Pay to the order of.”

High school athletes are paying with more than just sweat these days as participation fees — commonly referred to as “Pay to Play” — have become the norm for many cash-strapped districts.

Last week, Lebanon City Schools set its pay-to-participate fee for the 2011-12 school year at $250 per sport for high school athletes, $175 for junior high athletes. That’s a 614 percent increase from last year’s fee of $35 per sport for high school athletes, 400 percent increase for junior high.

There will also be no individual or family cap on the fee, meaning a three-sport athlete would have to pay $750.

“I’ve always been a proponent of total participation and believe that no student should be denied the opportunity to be a part of interscholastic athletics, which I believe is a vital part of growing up, especially at the junior high level where kids should be able to test the waters of all activities and see where their abilities lie,” Lebanon High School athletic director Bill Stewart said.

“Unfortunately, we live in different, economically difficult times. We know this will put a strain on household budgets. We hope that we will all be able to share the burden and make sure that our athletes still have the same opportunities that they have always had at Lebanon.”

In addition to rising costs, slashed funding is to blame at other area schools.

In the Mason School District, for example, the first failed levy in 40 years is forcing administrators to begin charging a participation fee of $150 per sport this fall.

That leaves Kings as the only area district still offering free sports.

“There had been discussions about charging a fee for years, but as long as the community continued to support the big picture, athletics was a small part of that big picture and the district didn’t feel comfortable adding an additional burden,” Mason Athletic Director Scott Stemple said. “But now we’re in this position because the community was saying, ‘Hey, we think there needs to be cuts. There needs to be a different way to fund things.’”

Stewart said that the athletic department is working with the boosters and local businesses to come up with some plans that could provide relief for needy families.

“Nothing is set yet, but we are looking at possible options that will help reduce individual costs,” Stewart said. “We’re all going to have to work together, but it’s going to be a challenge.”

It’s too early to know if the increased fee will affect the number of participants in each sport. But, Lebanon boys soccer and boys track coach Steve Poitinger said it could be a challenge.

“The goal is that cost will not be a deciding factor in whether someone plays or not,” Poitinger said. “That said, I don’t know what will happen. Your stars, the kids who are always getting their names in the paper, they’ll still play.

“But the kids who I approach in October to see if they’d be interested in giving track and field a try? That’s going to be a harder sell at $250 than it was at $35. I understand this has to be done due to our current revenue situation and things like that, but I’m really disconcerted by it all. Sports are a great way to learn first-hand the value of hard work, discipline and controlling emotions in a relatively safe environment. I’d hate to see any kid lose that option.”

Staff Writer Jay Morrison contributed to this story.