Opioid settlement funds to cover Pine County after-school activity registration fees for grades 7-12

Pine County Public Health and the Pine City, Hinckley-Finlayson, East Central, and Willow River school districts have announced that all registration fees for school-sponsored after-school activities for students in 7th through 12th grade will be fully covered using opioid settlement funds.

According to a news release, students will continue to register through their schools as usual, with no separate application or request for funding.

The registration fee is covered for sports, arts, clubs, and academic programs.

Community-based programs outside of school, and school programs for sixth-graders and younger are not included.

The system, which started in January of 2026, replaces the current version of the Youth Opportunity Grant Application program.

The release states that Pine County's YOGA grants have supported more than 5,000 local youth participating in activities over the past two years.

Decisions about how to use opioid settlement funds are guided by the Pine County Chemical Health Coalition, a countywide group that brings together schools, public health, human services, mental health, law enforcement, and community members to support prevention, treatment, and recovery.

"We're committed to using opioid settlement funds in ways that are both grounded in evidence and forward-thinking," Samantha Lo, Pine County's public health director, wrote in the release. "This approach helps us meet youth where they are and strengthen the supports they rely on."