At its Jan. 12 meeting the West Lafayette Community School Corporation board approved a substantial set of policy revisions recommended by the policy committee, voted to add an accountability step that credit-card statements (if available) will be included in the monthly board packet, and approved proposed course fees for the 2026–27 school year.

Michelle Kronk, the corporation treasurer, explained that state code permits schools to charge reasonable fees for supplemental non‑curricular items and that students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals are exempt from these fees. She presented a schedule of proposed fees for elementary, intermediate and junior/senior high classes and emphasized administrators tried to limit amounts and preserve equitable access.

The course-fee proposal prompted sustained debate on equity and communications. Board member David said he planned to vote for the fees but regretted “charging course fees for public schools,” arguing the district should consider including such costs in a future referendum. Others suggested working with the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation to cover hardship cases and to flag fee-bearing courses on student sign‑up sheets.

On financial policy, the F150 use-of-credit-cards revision was approved after a board amendment to add a transparency measure: the monthly credit-card statement, if available, will be included in the board packet for review. Administration noted the practice is already in place and legal counsel saw no prohibition to adding it, but warned that embedding such a requirement in policy makes it harder to change later without another policy vote.

The policy committee also advanced multiple other finance and operations policies (F100 internal controls; F176 unpaid meals; F200 investment income; F275 gifts and donations), and several G‑series policies (safety, data breach, community use). Each policy change was accompanied by discussion and recorded votes.

Board members asked staff to make fee schedules and rationales visible at building level and in enrollment materials so families are aware when they select classes. The board also discussed potential caps and referral to the foundation for scholarship support.