Student activity fee auction nets $60,000

The tally from a fund-raising event for Lawrence public school students is as sweet as notes pouring from a flute and as impressive as a spiral touchdown pass on the football field.

Citizens for Students, an organization formed last year to help the district’s students pay new co-curricular and participation fees, raised $60,000 at a festive auction Sunday — far more than the $40,000 goal.

“Everybody had a pretty good time,” Jackie Ferguson, a Citizens for Students organizer, said Monday.

More than 300 people attended Sunday’s auction at Abe & Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St.

For students, the result will be that the organization will pay for a third co-curricular and participation fee for all students in the district. Students were required to pay the first fee in both categories, but the organization previously raised money to cover the second.

Overall, Citizens for Students has raised $85,000.

“The community has been very supportive, and we appreciate it,” Ferguson said.

The live and silent auctions generated $37,000. Ticket sales brought in nearly $8,000, and donations added $15,000 to the event’s bottom line.

Ferguson said the most sought-after items were posters autographed by Kansas basketball team captains Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. The two posters went for about $1,000 each, she said.

Last year, the school board adopted a $50 participation fee for each sport, cheerleading or after-school program a student joined. A $25 co-curricular fee was started for nonsports activities, such as debate, orchestra, choir and band.

The fees were part of a budget-balancing plan that included $3.1 million in spending cuts and fee increases.