Schools to Ask Parents to Give $250 for Sports

Parents with children at West Contra Costa Unified School District campuses who play sports will soon be asked to pay $250 to save the district’s athletics program.

The school board is trying to raise $400,000 to reinstate the varsity sports program next year. The sports budget was eliminated last month after the board made $16.5 million in cuts. Libraries, music programs and hundreds of district jobs also were targeted.

School officials are asking for the suggested $250 donation from parents as part of a contingency plan in case Measure B, an $8-million parcel tax on the June ballot, fails.

Since the cuts were announced, district officials have received about $190,000 in donations for the athletics program.