• MHSAA Communications Director John Johnson

LANSING - Michigan high schools that designate participation fees for student athletes dropped from 57 to 52 percent during the 2014-2015 school year. 69 percent of schools within the Michigan High School Athletic Association responded to the recent survey.

MHSAA Communications Director John Johnson hopes for the decrease to continue trending.

"It's a trend that we hope continues," Johnson said. "We think we have seen some schools see light that participation fees never generate the amount of money that the school hoped they would generate."

"They see some of the other downfalls. As soon as you lose one or two kids from your school district to a district that no fee, then you have lost $6000, $7000."