Dodgeland board approves $200 nonresident summer‑school fee, prioritizes residents

The Dodgeland School District Board on April 27 approved a $200 fee for nonresident students who seek to attend the district's summer-school program in 2026 when their home districts are not offering programming.

Administrators said the fee would not fully cover costs (district staff and meals remain expenses) but would be consistent with local practice; they reported ranges from other districts (some charging per class or smaller fees) and said the district's goal is to break even. The board discussed whether to delay opening seats to nonresident students until after resident registration closes; trustees agreed to prioritize Dodgeland resident students and use a wait-list for nonresidents so residents have first access.

A trustee framed the math: the district expects about 90 contact hours and said $200 equates to roughly $2.20 per instructional hour — a rationale some trustees described as reasonable. Administrators noted state funds and meal reimbursements cover some resident costs and that adding nonresident students might fill seats without increasing staffing if classroom capacity allows. The district will keep monitoring enrollments and can adjust policy or fees in future years.

The motion to set the fee and implement resident prioritization passed by voice vote; the transcript records opposition from one member during the vote voice call but does not provide a roll-call tally.