Student clubs and middle school sports are coming back to Streetsboro City Schools for the 2026-27 school year, but the reunion is not exactly free. Families will be asked to pay new participation fees, with board members stressing this is a one-year fix while the district keeps hunting for long-term funding after several failed levy attempts.
Clubs and middle school teams get a one-year comeback
At a June 11 meeting, the board voted to restore middle school football, cheerleading, cross country, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and track, and to bring back the clubs that were cut in November 2025, according to Weekly Villager. Board members also signed off on a $50-per-club participation fee for the coming year, and the motions passed unanimously, the outlet reports.
Pay-to-play hits middle and high school athletes
Families of student athletes will feel the biggest sticker shock. Middle school athletes will be charged about $300 per sport, and high school varsity athletes will pay the same $300 fee per sport, with the district scrapping its previous $600 annual cap, according to Portage Sports. District leaders say the pay-to-play model is meant to help cover coach stipends, transportation, and other operating costs tied to the programs they are bringing back.
Failed levies and a widening budget hole
The cuts that hit clubs and sports were triggered after voters rejected operating levies in 2025 and again this spring, a run of ballot losses that squeezed local revenue for day-to-day operations. A 7-mill measure on the May ballot would have generated about $5.44 million a year, according to the district’s Streetsboro City Schools’ levy fact sheet. The same document shows the district’s shortfall growing through the late 2020s, reaching roughly $8.2 million under the projection for fiscal year 2029, and local reporting on the levy campaign and its fallout is available from News 5 Cleveland.
Community weighs in as district eyes next ballot move
Trying to avoid a repeat of the last few election cycles, the district has launched an online community survey and scheduled public sessions to gather feedback on funding options and which programs residents consider most essential, according to Cleveland.com. Officials emphasize that the restored activities are meant as a temporary bridge while the board searches for more stable revenue.
The board’s next regular meeting is set for July 9, and administrators say they will keep collecting public input as they consider whether to put new levy questions on a future ballot. The district has indicated it may look toward the November general election for its next attempt, according to reporting from Portage Sports.
