Naomi Yané

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May 13, 2026, 10:31 PM

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Updated

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Parents in Bernards Township may soon have to pay more if their children want to participate in school sports or extracurricular clubs.

The Bernards Township School District has approved its $130 million budget for the 2026–2027 school year, which includes new activity fees for students. Under the plan, parents of students at Ridge High School will be charged $100, while families with students at William Annin Middle School will pay $50. The fee applies regardless of how many sports or clubs a student joins.

Some parents say the added cost is frustrating, especially given the taxes they already pay. “

We’re in Jersey. We pay a lot of taxes, and our taxes should be going towards our kids,” one parent said.

Others say they understand why the district is making the move.

“I don’t mind it. I know schools need funding for sports and what not,” another parent said. But not everyone agrees with shifting those costs to families. “We shouldn’t have to go out of pocket for those things. The school should be paying for that, and it should be in the budget,” a parent added.

In neighboring Bernardsville, which is part of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, activity fees are already the norm.

“In our school district, you have to pay an activities fee if you want your kids to participate in school sports,” Maureen Russell explained. “It’s not super cost prohibitive, but what is, is all the extra things you have to do nowadays to make sure your child is excelling in whatever sport they choose.”

Schools across New Jersey are facing budget shortfalls. Bernards Township is expected to receive about 3% less in state aid in Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s proposed budget compared to last year.

The activity fees are one way to help close a $6 million budget gap.

News 12 New Jersey reached out to the Bernards Township School District for comment and is awaiting a response.