High School Sports

House committee will consider bill that would require cash be accepted at high school sports events

A bill that would require high schools accept cash as a form of payment at sporting events and honor Tar Heel Cards for senior citizens will be heard in the House Education Committee on Tuesday.
Posted 2023-03-31T20:29:00+00:00 - Updated 2023-03-31T20:29:00+00:00
Photo taken July 12, 2022.

A bill that would require high schools accept cash as a form of payment at sporting events and honor Tar Heel Cards for senior citizens will be heard in the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

House Bill 38, introduced by Rep. A. Reece Pyrtle Jr. (R-Rockingham) in January, would not prevent schools from using digital ticketing systems, but would require cash also be an option.

"I actually had an experience at a high school football game last fall where I was required to download an app, enter my credit card information and pay a convenience fee for each ticket to gain admission to the event," Pyrtle told HighSchoolOT in January. "There are some adults and students in our communities that may not have the resources to purchase athletic tickets in such a manner. They should not be excluded from attending any interscholastic athletic event."

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many high schools have moved to digital ticketing systems, often times requiring attendees to purchase tickets through a mobile app. This has helped schools streamline the ticketing process and prevents the handling of money by volunteers or school employees.

"When an admission fee is charged to an interscholastic athletic activity, cash shall be accepted as a form of payment for admissions at the time of the event," the bill says.

The bill would also require schools to allow people to enter events for free if they hold a Tar Heel Card, which can be obtained from the state government.

School administrators and athletic directors have raised concerns about the Tar Heel Card because they say it is easy to obtain even if you are not eligible, which hurts the school's ability to raise funds off ticket money.

Tuesday's hearing in the House Committee on Education is scheduled for 2 p.m.

If the bill is passed, it would go into effect for the 2023-2024 school year.

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