Kailua High
gives school band
ticket books

This is one way schools
are handling the policy to
charge band members
admission to games

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Kailua High band members are given books of tickets to use during the football season when they perform.

At the end of the season, band members can buy them at half price so they can attend other athletic events.

It's just one way schools are dealing with shrinking athletic budgets and complying with the long-standing policy of the Oahu Interscholastic Association to charge admission to football games for all students, including band members and cheerleaders, even when they're performing.

The OIA yesterday pointed to creative solutions such as this when it recommended turning the "pay-to-play" issue back to the schools to decide how to handle it.

Currently, the 21 OIA schools deal with the issue in 21 different ways.

"We've found for the most part, this seems to be working and working well," OIA president Gary Griffiths said yesterday following a meeting of OIA principals and athletic directors.

Some band students and parents were upset this year after learning they had to pay to play. Some band members didn't know the school had been paying their admission in past years by using whatever funding sources were available.

Those sources, including supplementary money from the state to pay for bus transportation, hasn't grown in past years. And athletic budgets, which pay for supplies, equipment and coaches stipends, have decreased as the number of high schools and athletic programs has increased, said Dwight Toyama, OIA executive secretary. The pot is projected to become even smaller with the addition of two more schools opening in the next two years.

One revenue source available to schools is the sale of books of tickets to athletic events. Receipts from the sale of those athletic books, which are valued at $200 but cost from $5 to $25, remain with the school, and don't go to the OIA, Toyama said.

It's up to each school to develop plans to use the money to support the athletic department as well as to find ways to subsidize transportation and admission for band members.

Kailua's solution makes it possible for students who participate in athletics as well as band to be able to attend other athletic events, said Principal Mary Murakami. "We're trying to develop procedures that seem fair and also generate revenue."

Kailua's athletic book sales go toward purchasing athletic equipment and supplies, paying for an athletic trainer, uniforms and also transporting band members to games, she said.

Kalani High's principal found a sponsor to help subsidize band members' athletic books after the price went up to $25 this year, said band director Dennis Kaneshiro.

Band members in the past have been paying full price but, with prices going up $5 each year, he couldn't justify them paying, particularly when they're graded for performing.

This year, Kalani's band members pay $10 and state funds pay for three buses to transport his 135 band members to the games.