MORROW — Junior Stephanie Journeay plans to participate in basketball, volleyball and track at Little Miami High School as a senior.

        It will cost her $600 to do so after Tuesday's defeat of an emergency operating levy that would have provided this growing Warren County school district $2.7 million each of the next five years, beginning in January.

        Instead of focusing on hiring teachers to accommodate growth, Superintendent Ralph Shell finds himself struggling to cut $2 million from the 2002-03 school year budget. He has imposed a hiring freeze effective immediately, and will discuss the budget and possibly a future ballot issue at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, set for 7 p.m. at Little Miami High School.

        “The bulk of the cuts will have to come in personnel,” Mr. Shell said Wednesday. “We've already curtailed field trips, cleaning supplies and will put on hold the next round of textbook purchases and maintenance projects.”

        He said class sizes will also grow.

        Beginning with fall sports, high school students will have to pay $200 per sport to participate in after-school activities. The fee for junior high students will be $185. Other already-approved cuts include ending the third shift for custodians, a move that will eliminate 9.5 positions next month; closing school buildings at 4:30 p.m., effective in August; and reducing building budgets for next fall.

        “My immediate thought was that a child should not have to pay to participate in sports. My second thought is my children will continue to play,” said Nancy Journeay, a single parent and Stephanie's mother. “(The fee) won't stop her, but it does disturb me. We'll make do and find the money, although I'd rather (the increase) be in my tax bill.”

        Stephanie said some of her friends have already told her they will curtail their participation in sports if they have to pay. Some, including Stephanie, would like to organize fund-raisers to help others defray the costs.

        “I'll still be playing three sports and I'll still be proud to play for my school,” Stephanie said. “I'm just really disappointed.”

        Athletic director and boys' basketball coach Rob Blanton said he expects participation to decrease when the policy goes into effect next fall.

        “I think it will affect the number of participants, particularly those in three sports or those who are interested in one sport but play year-round to stay in condition for their main sport,” Mr. Blanton said.

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