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Rotary asks Bristol committee to waive tuition requirement so exchange student can enroll
Summary
Rotary Club members told the Bristol School District policy committee that a $19,000 district tuition figure would prevent a French exchange student from enrolling and urged the committee to forward policy 6145.6 to the full board with a recommendation to waive the tuition for one year.
John Cassidy, president of the Rotary Club, told the Bristol School District policy committee that the club has an inbound exchange student from France and asked the committee to reconsider a district tuition requirement that he said would block the placement. "You have to pay about $19,000," Cassidy said, referring to the district tuition figure discussed during the meeting.
The Rotary presentation described the student, Nora, as a 16-year-old who speaks French and English and noted that the group has identified a host family and planned financial support for monthly living costs and local activities. Cassidy said the club is working on J-1 visa paperwork and that the timing is tight: "That's about a 12-week process," he said when committee members asked about deadlines.
Committee members pressed for clarity on what the $19,000 figure covers and how a policy change might affect other programs. One committee member asked, "What does the $19,000 cover?" district staff and visiting education experts said that figure aligns with a district’s per-pupil expenditure calculation in some budgets but that they had not seen a routine district tuition charge for inbound exchange students in their experience. Visiting experts and Rotary representatives said exchange placements are often subsidized by Rotary or philanthropies, and that many districts rely on a one-for-one matching practice—sending a student abroad and hosting one in return—to limit net cost.
Committee members asked staff to confirm details with school principals and counseling staff to ensure adequate support for an incoming student. The committee then voted to forward policy 6145.6 to the full board with a recommendation to consider waiving the district tuition assessment for one year to allow the immediate placement; the motion was moved by a committee member and seconded by Michelle. The committee agreed to put the item on the full-board agenda and invited Rotary representatives to attend that meeting to answer questions.
Next steps: staff will check with high school principals and counselors and the item will appear on the upcoming full-board agenda for final consideration.
