ACE Fees. The Semi-Details Emerge.

Concerning ACE fees. This is a good start. Check out the 3 links. Analyze. Ponder.

From Helen Williams at HPISD.

Thanks for your questions about the ACE fees.

The fees are collected to offset the considerable expense of running an athletic program that serves more than 1,550 UPDATE: 1,750 students in grades 7-12. Please note that many students participate in more than one sport. However, they are only required to pay one ACE fee per year. Students whose families cannot afford to pay the ACE fee may make a partial payment or apply for a hardship waiver.

Please remember that ACE fees are not subject to recapture by the state, so every dollar collected stays here in HPISD. Considering our current recapture rate is 70 percent, you can see the difference that makes.

In order to ensure accuracy, we are using audited figures from 2007-08 and 2008-09. Our books from 2009-10 are still being audited.

2007-08	2008-09
$1,794,995 – Athletic expenditures	$1,859.813 – Athletic expenditures
$390,587* – ACE fees collected	$388,708* – ACE fees collected

*Credit card back charges and partial payments cause these figures not to be exactly divisible by $250

Here is a closer look at the numbers from the major expense categories, which are backed up in detail with the attachments provided.

2007-08	2008-09
$963,162 – Payroll	$989,887 – Payroll
$483,327 – Travel, dues & awards	$565,576 – Travel, dues & awards
$210,867 – Supplies, materials & equipment	$200,401 – Supplies, materials & equipment
$137,639 – Contracted services (officials, security, rental equipment & printing costs)	$103,949 – Contracted services (officials, security, rental equipment & printing costs)

You can see that while the ACE fees make a difference and allow us to continue running a top-notch athletic program, they only cover a fraction of the total expenses. The details about other revenue sources, such as gate receipts, Sports Club donations and concessions are included in the revenue and expenditure attachment.

Regarding your question about how the money flows, the ACE fees are collected and deposited into the general fund out of which the Athletic Department expenses are paid. There is no need to create a separate ACE fee account because the money is completely accounted for through the budget coding system, which tracks money by not only department, but also by expenditure type. The level of detail is clearly spelled out in the expenditure summary report attachment.

We welcome the opportunity to provide a thorough and accurate explanation to our families.  

A few questions to get things rolling:  

1. Shouldn’t the ACE fees be deposited into a separate athletic fund account? UPDATE. Helen Williams reponds:
   ACE fees are deposited into the general fund because the Athletic Department expenses are paid out of that account. There is no need to create a separate ACE fee account. The money is completely accounted for through the budget coding system (see attachments), which tracks every dollar by category. To use the analogy of a household budget, there is no need to set up a separate checking account for your mortgage payment, your electric bill, your water bill and your many other monthly expenses. You pay those bills from your general account, and you keep careful track of those expenditures.  The district operates the same way. 
    
   Also please note that like all Texas school districts, HPISD is required to use the accounting system developed by the Texas Education Agency. That system specifies categories and codes.
2. These are broad categories. Where EXACTLY did the ACE fees go? UPDATE. Helen Williams responds: 

• 2007-08: $1.8 million (ACE fees pay for 22%)
• 2008-09: $1.9 million (ACE fees pay for 21%)

• 2007-08: 1,764 student athletes in grades 7-12
• 2008-09: 1,987student athletes in grades 7-12

3. What happens when there is left over money from ACE fees? It just goes into the general budget? UPDATE. Helen Williams responds:

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Merritt Patterson