The Examiner U-46 News FeedU-46 looking to again waive instructional fees By Seth Hancock
School District U-46 plans to waive instructional fees for the 2022-2023 school year.
The proposed school fees were presented to the Board of Education at its Monday, Feb. 7 meeting with a vote expected on Feb. 28.
“We are still recommending that the Board of Education waive all instructional fees for our families for the 2022-2023 school year,” said Superintendent Tony Sanders. “The only fees that will exist are the optional programs.”
This would be the second straight year the fees would be waived.
Optional fees include $80 per sport for the middle school athletic participation fee as well as several at the high school level: Driver’s education behind the wheel ($250), driver’s education textbook ($13), lifeguard course fee ($45.75), independent physical education course fee ($15), parking permit ($100), athletic participation fee per sport ($150), athletic fee for football ($200), activity fee ($40) and basic yearbook ($45). A customized high school yearbook is available, with price determined at each site.
High school athletic fees are capped at two per student athlete, four per family.
Board member Dawn Martin asked how the district keeps track if a family has multiple multi-sport athletes who may attend different high schools within the district and Dale Burnidge, director of financial operations, said “it should be capped at four, even if they are at two schools.” Burnidge said families in this situation can speak with the school athletic directors to handle this on a case-by-case basis.
The district does offer insurance plans for students which Sanders called an “optional item families may choose to partake in.” The cost is too be determined “because the insurance company does not publish new rates until April or May.”
Board member John Devereux asked about academy and magnet school fees to which Sanders said: “We eliminated those about three or four years ago.”
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