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Board defers vote on student fees after debate; approves fee-waiver rollovers for two schools
Summary
After extended discussion about the burden of school fees on families, the board deferred approval of the proposed 2025–26 student fees to get further data; it separately authorized leftover fee-waiver funds from two schools to be rolled into their general school funds.
Trustees paused a vote on the proposed student fees for 2025–26 after a lengthy discussion about the cumulative burden on families and how the district funds classroom supplies.
Doctor Charles Powell told the board that state law allows school systems to set student fees and noted that fee lists must be posted on the district website. Trustees questioned how much parents and students actually pay in aggregate through the many small fees and whether district fund balance or departmental allocations could cover the costs. April (district finance) said the high school received just over $13,000 this year in fee-waiver funds, an amount that will be spent largely to cover caps and gowns and other needs for qualifying students.
Board member Miss Matthews urged increasing central allotments for teachers rather than relying on fees. Several trustees also asked staff to calculate the total gross amount collected across all fee lines to inform a future decision.
After discussion, the board’s maker of the motion withdrew it and the board deferred the fee schedule to the next meeting to allow staff to gather the requested figures and alternatives.
Separately, the board approved a related item: permission for two schools with leftover fee-waiver balances to roll those funds into their general school funds to close out the year and allow departments to use the money next year. Board members said the fee-waiver money had to be expended for student needs and could not simply be carried forward without board approval.
The fee schedule remains pending; staff will return with a summary of total fees collected, the amount of fee-waiver allocations and options for using district fund balance to reduce family costs.
