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Elkin board debates raising out-of-district tuition toward county levels
Summary
Board members debated whether to continue incremental $150 tuition increases for out-of-district students versus moving immediately to county levels such as Surry County’s $1,320; members cited revenue impacts (about 325 out-of-district students and roughly $17,000 in unpaid tuition) and potential program losses if revenue falls.
Board members discussed out-of-district tuition rates and whether the district should move faster to align rates with neighboring counties.
Officials said the district has been increasing out-of-district tuition in $150 increments over time; the fee had been $600, rose to $800 and the chart presented shows a next-step amount of $950 for the coming school year. Dr. Hall said Surrey County charges $1,320 per out-of-district student and some board members argued the district should move more quickly to parity to protect resources for in-district students.
Board members noted the district currently has about 325 out-of-district students; administrators said about 62 of those are children of employees. One board member calculated that if the district collected the proposed $950 per student for 325 out-of-district students it would represent substantial revenue that helps pay for staffing and programming. Administrators also cautioned that raising the fee too quickly risks losing tuition revenue if families withdraw and that some families already owe roughly $17,000 in arrears.
Members discussed a compromise of continuing incremental increases (the current plan) versus an immediate jump; there was no final vote to change the chart during the meeting but the board asked staff to prepare a presentation showing a two-year projection and to add the schedule to the website for transparency.
The board's student-fee calendar requires approval of fees by Oct. 15 each year; staff said they would return in time for that process.
