Students in Bainbridge High’s marching band may have to pay to play

Strike up the band — but you may have to get out your checkbook first.

The Bainbridge Island School Board will consider adjusting student fees at the board meeting this week, and the proposed changes include a new $250 participation fee for students who want to be in Bainbridge High’s marching band or participate as a member of the Color Guard or Winter Guard.

District officials said the new $250 fee will put the cost of being in the band or Color Guard/Winter Guard in line with the fees students pay to play sports.

Students at Bainbridge High and Eagle Harbor High already pay fees for a large number of courses and activities; the fee schedule stretches for nearly two pages and runs from art-related courses ($25 for sculpture, and $75 for photographer classes, for example) to food courses ($30) to French and Spanish language workbooks ($15-$60). Other fees include parking passes ($250) and yearbooks ($60-$70).

The addition of new fees for the marching band will make playing for the Spartans one of the most costly extra-curricular activities for high schoolers. Band members already face an instrument maintenance fee that ranges from $20 to $75, and there is also a band uniform fee of $25.

Other proposed revisions to the student fee schedule include a $5 increase in the price of a student workbook for world language, and the removal of a $200 charge for students who take an additional course at the high school.

The Bainbridge Island School Board will meet at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, July 26 in the board meeting room.