Idon't know exactly what the 15 public school districts in York County are doing as it relates to homecoming activities, but it's a good bet they're all having a homecoming football game and a homecoming dance at some point this fall.

And most, but not all, are having a homecoming parade.

Something small no doubt. A marching band, floats for the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes and a string of convertibles with the homecoming court and queen (and king, too) riding in high style.

A half-hour and it's over and done with.

Very little muss, very little fuss. And rarely a hassle.

And, according to the survey I took, few districts are required to pay a parade permit fee, an activity fee or any sort of fee to hold their parade.

In fact, the York City School District apparently is the only district in York County that is expected to pay a parade fee.

And it's salty.

In past years, the city school district paid $900 as part of a lump sum for city police coverage during the homecoming game and the homecoming parade that preceded it.

Yes, you read that correctly -- $900.

But this year, the school district decided (a few weeks ago) to forgo hiring officers from the York City Police Department after the school district and city police couldn't come to an agreement on the number of officers necessary for each football game.

The city wanted five officers at every football game, but the school district only wanted three.

Both sides stood their

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ground, so there have been no city police officers at the last two home games against Dover and New Oxford. Two home games remain on the schedule -- Spring Grove and Central.

The homecoming game against Spring Grove will be held Friday, Oct. 23, at Small Field.

And York City officials apparently have decided to use this opportunity to make a point -- one way or another, the school district will hire city police officers for security.

Even if it's only for one parade.

In this case, of course, it's the homecoming parade.

According to a story in Friday's York Dispatch, the city school district has been advised by York City officials that it will be required to hire city police officers for the homecoming parade, or else.

Or else what? Or else the city will withhold an activity permit, and the students won't be allowed to hold their homecoming parade.

This is a parade permit that had already been approved, by the way. But it's now been revoked by city officials.

"It's no different," said York City Police Commissioner Mark Whitman, "than any other homecoming (parade) permit."

Except that it is different because the school district isn't expecting any city police officers in attendance at the homecoming football game, as has been the case in previous years.

So whatever the final bill turns out to be -- up to $900 -- it'll be for police coverage during the homecoming parade only. As soon as the parade is over, the city police disappear.

And either the school district agrees to pay for police coverage during the parade or there won't be any parade at all. The parade permit will be withdrawn by the city.

I'd say city officials have pretty much got school district folks backed into a corner. Purposely so, it would seem. This is the city's opportunity to crack the whip.

I suppose the school district could decide to forgo the street parade, have everyone line up on the parking lot at Small Field and circle the parking lot for a half hour before the game. No cops necessary then, I guess.

Which brings me back to my original point -- why is a parade permit necessary to begin with?

Look, I contacted 14 municipalities or school districts in York County and managed to get a response from 10 of them on the question of whether municipalities charge or school districts are charged a fee to hold a homecoming parade.

Not one school district of the 10 is expected to pay a parade or activity fee to hold a homecoming parade.

In five cases, in fact, the municipality doesn't charge any organization or group a fee to hold a parade -- homecoming or otherwise.

And in every case, there are municipal police on duty at those parades. At West York, there are police officers on duty from two police departments -- West York Borough and West Manchester Township. No parade permit necessary.

Why? Because the county school districts and municipalities work together. They don't always look at each other as revenue opportunities.

The York High homecoming parade might actually be the shortest of them all.

Yet it's being charged up to $900 for police security that all or most of the other districts in York County apparently are getting for free.

Someone, or a bunch of someones, seem to have forgotten that the city school district and the city police all serve the same community and the same taxpayers.

A little restraint might be in order.

Columns by Larry A. Hicks, Dispatch columnist, run Mon days, Wednesdays and Fri days. E-mail: lhicks@yorkdispatch.com.