All sports fans and those local residents who use Tamaqua Area School District tennis courts will have to reach deeper into their pockets next school year.

The Tamaqua Area School District is looking to increase the admission cost of virtually all school sporting events, according to plans outlined Tuesday evening at a school board workshop.The district is looking to impose a $5 adult ticket for all sports, including football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, swimming, wrestling, baseball, softball and track and field.In some cases, the fee would represent only a $1 increase, as in football, where ticket prices are already $4.However, some sports have ticket prices as low as $2, such as track and field. The newly proposed price schedule would see that fee increased by another $3 per adult.Student prices would increase by $1, from the current $2 to a new ticket price of $3.Admission price for junior high athletic events would increase to $3, including junior high and junior varsity football, basketball and track. Student prices for junior high games would be $1.According to Mike Hromyak, athletic director, the new pricing structure would put Tamaqua Area School District more in line with other districts and would help to encourage purchase of season tickets.However, those season ticket packages would also increase in price.For example, a six-game pass for varsity football would jump from the current $20 to the newly proposed $25. There are season tickets available for all sports, including junior high sports.The price of family packages also will be hiked.For example, the district will increase the price of a family package from the current $125, which traditionally had allowed for two adults and an unlimited number of children, to a new price of $175 which would admit two adults and only two children. Any additional children would cost the family $25 per each additional child.The fee charged for yearly access to the tennis courts will go from $5 per year to $10. A key will be issued to the purchaser and the lock will be changed every year on July 1.A three-page schedule reflecting a graduated scale for ticket prices in all sports was presented to the school board at Tuesday's workshop. The board is expected to approve the plan at next week's regular meeting.The district had not changed its ticket prices since August, 2005.In other action, the board took steps to finalize a $25 million budget for the 2012-13 school year.The budget is based on a beginning fund balance of $3,830,913 as of July 1 of this year.Revenue is projected to be $24,683,004 and expenses, $25,336,692.The real estate tax rate will be 33.36 mills. Other taxes in effect include: per capita Section 679, $5; per capita Act 511, $5; earned income tax of 1 percent; real estate transfer tax of 1 percent; EMS tax, $5 and assessed occupation tax, $225.It was noted that the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion would be established at $4,272 for each eligible property, which results in a real estate tax savings of $142.51.Also to be increased is the cost of school lunches, which will rise 10 cents for both elementary and secondary levels. The price for elementary school lunches will be $2.15 and for secondary, $2.40.The board is expected to approve a lease agreement with Schuylkill Intermediate Unit #29 whereby the I. U. would pay the Tamaqua district $10,200 in rental fees for the year for classroom space to be used to conduct a pre-school program.The board also is expected to approve M & T Bank as the district's depository for the upcoming school year.