At DHS, we have a proud 31 clubs. Anything that students could want to do happens during PASE or after school. If there is a club a student feels the school is missing, Principal Ryan Shea encourages students to start a new one—if they can get 10 other students to commit.
This is the thing that sets DHS apart from other schools. The opportunities that this school provides for students is unmatched by other high schools in the area like New Bedford and Fairhaven. Unfortunately, my confidence in these opportunities is waning.
As a part of the TV/Media club, I film the bi-monthly School Committee meetings (Mondays at 6pm, DHSTVmedia on YouTube). Over the last year, Assistant Superintendent of Finance James Kiely has spoken extensively about the district’s budget, hammering in one thing: Dartmouth does not have enough money.
On the second day of school, I was eating lunch with Annica Dupre, The Spectrum’s Editor in-Chief, when Assistant Principal Graham Coogan stopped to speak with us. He said that the school may not have enough money to keep The Spectrum‘s website running. As a member of the newspaper club, I believe The Spectrum is an essential part of the school’s student climate. Students need to be able to talk about what is important to them in a way that is easily accessible and fun (and it doesn’t look too bad on college resumes). The possibility of this service being taken away is deeply concerning.
I met with Mr. Coogan to pin down where exactly club money is and where it goes. During the interview, he repeatedly encouraged clubs to fundraise. I agreed at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it put a bad taste in my mouth. The ability to organize and market fundraisers is an important skill, yes. But why does that responsibility fall onto students and advisors?
In addition, not every club is in a position to fundraise. In a conversation with Business Innovation and Technology Head Teacher and TV/Media Advisor Robert Perrotti, he made a very good point when discussing his fundraising action. Unlike most clubs at DHS, TV/Media has a product to sell as a part of its club function. We sell Senior Video flash drives and recordings of the school musicals. But clubs like the Math Team or Debate do not have that same physical output. All of these clubs exist to enrich the student population, creating social and skill-based opportunities. Why should the responsibility of financially maintaining the clubs fall on the backs of students who are there to learn, especially when many of us already pay $25 club fees?
I have personally generated about $300 for the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) by holding two clothing drives and selling the donated clothes at the Southcoast LGBTQ+ Network’s New Bedford Pride. The club used this money to attend a regional GSA meeting held at King Philip High School.
This experience is exactly why I feel it is unfair to expect students to constantly fundraise. I had a lot of fun and am proud of myself for my hard work, but setting up events like this is time-intensive for both students and advisors. It also takes away from club activity time. Clubs like Debate or Math Team work hard all year to compete against other teams. In fact, going out and competing is the point of these clubs.
I personally give our administration a lot of grace. I believe that they do a lot more than many students realize, but they are not as transparent with the student body as they could be. I had to actively seek out an answer for where club money goes, which all students have the right to know, but may not know who to ask or do not have much time after school. Even after I sought out this information, the answer is rather convoluted and hard to understand.
Mr. Coogan told me that yes, there is money in the budget for clubs, but that money is in the form of a stipend for club advisors that is negotiated within their teacher contracts. So the money set aside is not for clubs to use, but rather to pay club advisors for their time. There is also a new budget item called “Dartmouth Competition Fees that was created with Mr. Kiely to support rising transportation fees,” Mr. Coogan told me. So until recently, there wasn’t any money specifically for clubs to use. Even this new fund isn’t meant for general transportation, but competitions only.
So where do we go from here? Honestly, I’m not completely sure. In the interest of fairness, clubs who are able to fundraise should fundraise, allowing the clubs who do not have the ability or members to do so have first access to money the school is able to provide. The fundraisers could include making bracelets or pins and selling them during lunch, or collaborating with other clubs. But these ideas have flaws in and of themselves. Many students do not carry cash, and may develop fundraising fatigue: exhaustion from donating to each club with little to no reward. There is no single solution that will fix everything for every club, and it is dependent on how flexible and creative you can be within the rules set by administrators.
If this school wants to continue to provide opportunities that don’t exist elsewhere, the administration needs better planning and to put more effort in supporting clubs. The Competition Fee fund is a step in the right direction. Even events like the Snowball that was held last year were attempts by the school to generate income for clubs, and we need to keep that momentum going. Finally, students need to mirror that effort. Show that clubs are important to you by participating in fundraisers and school events. Putting effort into this school community can and will result in the school community putting effort into you.
samuel brodsky • Oct 11, 2024 at 12:18 pm
great reporting on club funding. keep going! dig deeper! what is the clubs budget? athletics budget? lunch budget?