District posts public notice proposing 5× increase to part‑time student fee; defines full‑time enrollment, waivers available

The board packet contained an advertised public hearing notice explaining a proposed change to fees for students who are not enrolled full time. The proposal cited a funding gap caused by Idaho’s ADA (Average Daily Attendance) model, which does not reimburse districts for part‑time students, and the district’s plan is to increase the existing part‑time student fee to help recover the cost of instruction, staffing, materials and transportation for students who are not full‑time.

The packet states the specific proposal as "increase the existing part-time student fee by five times the current base rate." The hearing notice defined full‑time enrollment thresholds that would determine who is charged the fee: secondary students (Grades 6–12) would be considered full time only if enrolled in at least five class periods per day; elementary students (K–5) would be considered full time only if they receive a minimum of four hours of instruction per day. The district also described how it would determine part‑time status at the beginning of each term and said parents could apply for waivers for financial hardship under Idaho Code §33‑603.

The public‑hearing packet included a Frequently Asked Questions section that addressed implementation: dual‑enrolled students who do not meet the local full‑time threshold would be considered part‑time, homeschooled or online learners who use district classrooms or teachers could be charged, and the district said the additional revenue would be used to offset direct costs including staffing, classroom use, technology, and transportation to school events.

The packet notes a waiver process, citing the legal requirement that fee waivers be available for households demonstrating financial hardship. The district provided the public hearing materials to trustees for review; the packet does not record whether the board adopted a fee change at the meeting.