Waterford - The Board of Education is mulling a "pay to participate" program to help fund interscholastic athletics and school-sponsored extracurricular activities at Waterford High School and Clark Lane Middle School in the 2011-12 academic year.

The board will debate the proposal at its regular meeting 7 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall, though board president Donald Blevins said he does not expect a vote on the matter that night.

The "pay to participate" proposal, which based on current participation figures could generate approximately $25,000, comes on the heels of a March 15 board vote to lay off 10 teachers at the end of the year and cut indoor track and golf.

The board also plans to eliminate all freshman sports except for football next year to keep the budget at the proposed $42.9 million.

"It's a tight year and it's a tight crunch," said David Sousa, the high school's director of athletics.

High school students would pay $50 per sport, though there would be a $100 cap per student. Fees for families would be capped at $200, he said.

Clark Lane students would pay $25 per sport with a $50 cap per student. Fees for middle school families would be capped at $100.

The fees would be in addition to any costs associated with playing sports, such as the purchase of equipment, that are not assumed by the school.

According to the proposal, paying the fee would not guarantee playing time, which would still be the purview of the coaches.

Meanwhile, high school students would pay $25 per extracurricular activity with a $200 cap for families. Clark Lane students would pay $10 per extracurricular activity and with a $100 family cap.

Students who receive free or reduced lunch would receive fee waivers, and families who claim hardship could request a waiver or fee reduction.

Blevins said Tuesday he is unsure how the money collected from fees would be administered or if "pay to participate" would be a temporary or permanent measure.

"It's much easier to start something than to stop it once people get used to it," Blevins said.

Board member Timothy Egan said he favored putting the funds into a general fund for all athletic programs and held out hope that golf, indoor track and freshman sports would be reinstated.

If the school board approves the plan, Waterford would join Ledyard as the second school district in the region to have a "pay to participate" policy for all sports.

Ledyard charges each high school student $100 per season with a $400 cap for families per school year. Ledyard High School Principal Louis Gabordi said the fees do not cover the entire cost of the school's athletics budget but are a "contribution."

The school uses private donations to help offset costs for families who cannot afford the fee, Gabordi said.

"No one is turned away," he said.

s.chupaska@theday.com