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CUSD 300 administrator recommends reinstating student instructional and technology fees and modest meal-price increases
Summary
An administrator recommended reinstating instructional and technology fees for 2026–27 (grades 1–5: $95; grades 6–8: $115; grades 9–12: $140), making pre-K and kindergarten tuition-free, capping middle-school athletic fees, and raising breakfast by $0.20 and lunch by $0.25 to help close an estimated funding gap of about $11 million; the board heard the presentation but no formal vote was recorded in the transcript.
An administrator recommended the reinstatement of instructional and technology fees for the 2026–27 school year and modest increases to meal prices to help close a projected funding gap. The presenter said the district had waived these fees for five years during and after the COVID period and framed the return as a carefully calculated step tied to projected revenue and expense changes.
The administrator said the district recommends pre-K and kindergarten remain tuition-free but proposed new instructional/technology fees of $95 for grades 1–5, $115 for grades 6–8 and $140 for grades 9–12. The presenter also proposed capping middle-school athletic fees at three seasons per student and a family cap of six payments; parking fees were proposed to rise to $75 (half year) and $135 (full year). "I am recommending the reinstatement of instructional and technology fees for the 26–27 school year," the administrator said.
Why it matters: the presenter explained that the district faces reduced federal funding (closure of some ESSER funds), a projected drop in evidence-based funding (EBF) compared with prior years and ongoing salary and expense increases. Using conservative revenue assumptions, the presenter estimated the combined effect of new revenue sources could produce about $11 million in new revenue from several sources and that the proposed fees would generate a little more than $1 million to help offset rising costs.
On meal pricing and compliance: the presenter said the paid-lunch-equity (PLE) calculator indicates the district should be charging about $4 per meal and recommended raising breakfast by $0.20 and lunch by $0.25 to close the gap between current prices and the PLE target. "The PLE calculator tells us we should be charging $4," the administrator said, adding that meal-program sustainability matters because food-service losses otherwise come out of the education budget.
Fee waivers and equity: the presentation repeatedly emphasized that the district’s existing fee-waiver process would remain in place and that direct certification (state-provided matches) would automatically waive fees for eligible households. The administrator said the district expects more household waiver applications if fees are reinstated and highlighted that waivers will be applied and prorated as required.
Board response and next steps: several board members asked for additional detail (including comparisons with surrounding districts and the effect of local TIFs); one asked for numbers on how much tax revenue the district loses to local TIFs, which the administrator promised to provide. The transcript records the recommendation and discussion but does not record a formal board vote or an approval outcome in the meeting record. The board is expected to consider the formal recommendation at the appropriate future action item.
