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LCPS reports progress reducing student activity fees; district introduces activity allotments and other supports
Summary
LCPS staff told the joint committee the district has eliminated or reduced several student fees since FY19, introduced an activity allotment for schools and removed supplemental CTE materials fees in FY26; district staff said principals administer allotments and not all schools may be using full amounts.
Loudoun County Public Schools staff on Sept. 15 told the joint committee they have steadily reduced or eliminated several student fees and introduced district supports intended to reduce the need for pay-to-play charges.
"Our focus has been to not have a pay to play or pay to participate environment," said Sharon Willoughby, LCPS business and financial services, summarizing five years of fee changes and supports.
Willoughby described two categories of fees: districtwide fees governed by LCPS policy 4020 (student fees and charges) and school-based fees that individual schools may assess to support extracurricular programs. To provide more equitable access, the district introduced an "activity allotment" to help schools offset fees for non-athletic co-curricular and extracurricular clubs.
Willoughby highlighted several concrete changes: LCPS began covering up to four Advanced Placement (AP) tests per student in FY22, eliminated the student parking fee in FY23, and eliminated the athletic participation fee by FY24. She said supplemental CTE materials fees were eliminated in FY26.
The district also expanded non-fee supports, including a teacher classroom supply allotment introduced in FY22 and a universal tissue/paper initiative in FY25 intended to remove small consumables from school wish lists. Willoughby said the district is analyzing FY25 data to measure the activity allotment's effect and may use the results to inform the FY27 budget.
Committee members pressed staff about specifics. Supervisor Brisbane asked whether marching-band fees remain and whether the music/fine-arts allotment covers marching band expenses; Willoughby said each high school receives a music allotment from the school operating fund (she cited $9,600 per high-school music allotment) and that principals decide how to use those funds. She said the district provides the allotment and principals administer it; additional per-pupil allotments may also exist.
Willoughby said the activity allotment was new last year and that, as with other allotments, it will take multiple years for principals and staff across 100 schools to fully understand and use the funds. She told the committee she believes some schools do not utilize all their allotted funds.
Board members asked for more transparency and reporting on how schools use allotments. A board member requested aggregate data showing how allotments are spent and whether school-level fees remain in practice, citing examples such as band fees and club dues. Willoughby said district staff would continue outreach to principals and analyze program data to inform future budget proposals.
No formal committee action or vote was taken on fees at the Sept. 15 meeting; staff said analysis results may shape requests in the FY27 budget cycle.
