Tipton R‑VI board sets preschool tuition at $400 a month; handbook to define collection policy

Tipton R‑VI trustees on Tuesday approved a staff recommendation to set preschool tuition at $400 per month, a figure administrators said will be used in grant paperwork to preserve priority for funding while still keeping tuition reasonable for families.

The proposal was presented by a staff member who said the district had discussed the amount with state grant administrators and was advised to request only the minimum amount needed to improve priority for awards. "My suggestion ... to set it at $400 a month based on need," the presenter said. Board members asked whether parents would receive receipts and what would happen if families failed to pay. Staff said the district will document payments and include delinquency, penalty and unenrollment rules in the student handbook.

The board discussed how tuition collection would be handled operationally—how receipts would be issued, late‑fee schedules, and when students could be unenrolled for nonpayment—and heard that staff have drafted a written policy and will include procedural details in the handbook. Trustees also discussed that some students eligible for additional services (for example, ABA supports) may be covered through other funding sources, which could reduce or remove tuition charges for those families.

A motion to accept the $400 tuition proposal passed unanimously (7–0). The board did not set an immediate implementation date in the meeting; administrators said more procedural details and handbook language will be prepared for implementation and communicated to families before the program begins.