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Papillion La Vista holds annual student fees hearing; meal price up 5 cents, instrument and program fees adjusted
Summary
At its July 10 student fees hearing, Papillion La Vista Community Schools administrators presented fee changes for 2025–26 including a 5-cent rise in student meal prices, higher charges for school-owned instruments and program-specific fees; district officials also reviewed fee-waiver counts and the student fee fund balance.
Papillion La Vista Community Schools administrators presented proposed changes to student fees at a July 10 student fees hearing, telling the Board of Education the changes include a 5-cent increase to school meal prices and adjustments to activity- and program-related fees ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
The hearing, held during the board's July 10 meeting, featured presentations from district administrators and a review of the student fee fund, waiver usage and specific fee changes for extracurricular and program fees.
Superintendent Dr. Rickley said fee waivers align with federal free-and-reduced lunch eligibility and encouraged eligible families to apply, noting the district’s waiver counts have risen. “The waivers basically represent students that qualify for subsidized lunch, and that is a definition... They’re established by the United States Department of Agriculture,” Rickley said.
Administrators reported the district collected about $887,000 in student-fee revenue (K–12) in the most recent year and maintains a cash reserve for the student fee account; the presentation listed a current reserve of about $161,000. The district noted fee waivers increased from 1,680 in the 2023–24 window to 1,911 in 2024–25.
Shireen Siri, who led the itemized presentation, summarized several line-item changes. “The first thing is we are going to increase the school owned instruments. Families paid $50 to use those. We’re gonna charge $75,” Siri said, citing increased maintenance and cleaning costs. Siri also outlined other program fees: ROTC uniform costs capped at $300; club/team shirts and similar items will not exceed $30; graduation cap and gown fees will be set at $65 for both high schools; and Advanced Placement test fees “will match with the College Board,” because the district does not control those test prices.
The district also noted some program charges are not district-operated. Officials said the ESU 3 driver education fee was raised (cited in materials as roughly $4.50 to $4.75) but that ESU 3’s program is provided through a regional education service unit and is not a district-managed program; many students also choose private providers for driver instruction.
On meal pricing, administrators said the district has raised breakfast and lunch prices by a nickel and tries to keep those prices comparable with nearby districts. Rickley said commodity costs drive price pressure for some menu items such as milk and bread.
Administrators said families who qualify for fee waivers because they meet federal free-and-reduced lunch thresholds should file the application because the status affects both students’ access to waivers and district eligibility for certain federal reimbursements.
The student fees hearing closed at 6:13 p.m. with no public comments. No formal vote was required at the hearing; the board moved on to its regular meeting agenda.
