SHS is now charging students ages 6 and over admission fees to get into all sporting events. 

This policy is being reintroduced for the first time in two years.

“Post COVID, the township wanted kids to get reconnected back into the athletic programs,” Athletic Director Nicholas Stevens said. “So we used some of the provided government funds to  cover the entry fee for students.”  

Many students have expressed their dissatisfaction with this new policy and questioned why it was put in place to begin with. 

After students came back to school when the lockdown ended, student engagement for athletic events had been lower than previous years.

Administration hoped that by taking away the admission fee, more students would come to support athletic events. 

However, the funds that went to allow students in for free have expired.

“These funds could only last for so long, so eventually we had to bring back the admission fee,” Stevens said. 

Unfortunately, this new policy may affect the amount of students at athletic events.

SHS noticed that the numbers of attendance last year had already been low, but are hoping that the start of a new year excites students to come participate again.

In an effort to keep attendance at sporting events high, SHS has devised a plan that may help students afford this cost. 

Students can purchase a season pass that is good for all 2024-2025 sporting events for a discounted rate of $30. 

“We wish everyone could come in for free, but unfortunately that is not the reality,” Stevens said. “That’s why we push students to buy the passes, so that you can get in at a much lower rate.”