For as long as anyone can remember, sports at HHS have been accessible to all. As long as students signed up, registered, showed up to practice, and put in their best effort, everyone was able to participate in the wide range of athletic programs at the school.

However, with the failure of the recent budget referendum, the school has announced it will be implementing a pay to play program. Every time a student wishes to play a sport, he or she will have to pay a $100 participation fee.

This change has both upsides and downsides. Participation in sports at HHS is huge, and the fee would help to make the sports program more self-sufficient in terms of funding. This would also allow the school to direct the money formerly used on athletics towards other things, like the arts, maintenance, and upgrades.

However, pay to play can also be a huge barrier for many students who wish to play sports. Participation in athletics, including equipment, travel, and other fees, is already very costly for many. An additional $100 may make athletics wholly unaffordable for some.

In addition, new fees are being implemented for other programs. For clubs, bands, and academic teams, an additional $25 fee will be assessed for each program in which one participates. For those who wish to engage in a wide range of activities, they may be forced to prioritize and not join some programs due to financial constraints.

Pay to play, while a smart budgetary measure in theory, may obstruct some access to the wide range of activities offered at HHS.