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Our district did it like the OP. We did have fees but the biggest cost was always the yearbook, which is never mandatory. PE clothes. Certain extra curricular/sports came with fees and I paid quite a bit when my daughter was a cheerleader but that wasn't mandatory either. I do remember some science and elective classes asking for donations up front at registration but I think some optional and you could get around them with an office waiver. Senior fees, yes we had them and they were put toward special events throughout the year for the graduating class. Then there was the other stuff like school swag. What I remember most is that I ordered and paid for a class t-shirt for my son every year and every year he forgot to pick it up.
I just paid $235 for 1 college text book that the teacher already told them wouldn't be used next semester so the bookstore will not buy it back. I miss high school....
Again it would vary by State but you parents ought to be raising Holy Hell about that. Compulsory education laws require your kids to be in school and I have no doubt school taxes are significant. Many states subsidize the transportation costs for regular and require transport for Special Ed (that's Federal).
maciesmom lives in Colorado as do I. Colorado law allows for transportation charges. I forget the finer details. Usually kids on free/reduced lunch are exempt from the fees. Her district is not the only one that charges.
In my opinion, the items needed for a student to get a basic K-9 education should be free--with the exception of basic consumable supplies such as paper, pens, pencils, crayons, folders, backpack, workbooks, etc.
Things that should be paid extra for are athletics outside of regular gym class, locks for lockers (sold at cost and student can reuse the previous years lock), band/orchestra, all extra-curricular activities, lab fees for elective sciences and languages, AP classes and tests, cap and gown rental, yearbook, etc.
I'm on the fence about transportation, I think it depends on the area and the availability of mass transit. For some districts it makes sense, for others, not so much.
The high school registration fees are only $265. for us this year. Sheesh...
At our school - a public high school in Oregon - we will not be given our student's schedule until all fees or paid, or we prove that we are low income in which case we would qualify for a payment plan. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch the fees may be waived or reduced.
We don't qualify for anything so we pay the full amount of fees. I have wondered if they raise the fees for the families who can pay to offset the high number of low-income families who cannot or do not pay.
This sheet does not include the cost of school pictures (Lifetouch). Students are required to have a student ID card which has their photo on it.
Also not included are the $20 here and $20 there type fees which seem to always come up once the kids actually begin school. Each teacher seems to come up with "class fees" or "journal fees" and other random fees that we're supposed to cough up each trimester as the students begin new classes.
I'd like to know where these fees are actually going, because with almost 1500 students enrolled in this school, and all these fees being collected - that is a lot of money!
The high school registration fees are only $265. for us this year. Sheesh...
At our school - a public high school in Oregon - we will not be given our student's schedule until all fees or paid, or we prove that we are low income in which case we would qualify for a payment plan. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch the fees may be waived or reduced.
We don't qualify for anything so we pay the full amount of fees. I have wondered if they raise the fees for the families who can pay to offset the high number of low-income families who cannot or do not pay.
This sheet does not include the cost of school pictures (Lifetouch). Students are required to have a student ID card which has their photo on it.
Also not included are the $20 here and $20 there type fees which seem to always come up once the kids actually begin school. Each teacher seems to come up with "class fees" or "journal fees" and other random fees that we're supposed to cough up each trimester as the students begin new classes.
I'd like to know where these fees are actually going, because with almost 1500 students enrolled in this school, and all these fees being collected - that is a lot of money!
Well sunshine laws being what they are, your public school budget will either be posted online or given to you are your request. Should be outlined right there.
In my state, the cost of schools come almost entirely from property taxes, and there is quite a bit of animosity regarding non-parents subsidizing the education of children, especially when they have none. No system makes everyone happy.
The high school registration fees are only $265. for us this year. Sheesh...
At our school - a public high school in Oregon - we will not be given our student's schedule until all fees or paid, or we prove that we are low income in which case we would qualify for a payment plan. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch the fees may be waived or reduced.
We don't qualify for anything so we pay the full amount of fees. I have wondered if they raise the fees for the families who can pay to offset the high number of low-income families who cannot or do not pay.
This sheet does not include the cost of school pictures (Lifetouch). Students are required to have a student ID card which has their photo on it.
Also not included are the $20 here and $20 there type fees which seem to always come up once the kids actually begin school. Each teacher seems to come up with "class fees" or "journal fees" and other random fees that we're supposed to cough up each trimester as the students begin new classes.
I'd like to know where these fees are actually going, because with almost 1500 students enrolled in this school, and all these fees being collected - that is a lot of money!
I would question the fee for Science, English, etc.
The required testing is also a red flag. They require the students to take an optional test and pay for it. You might want to ask what the school does with the rebate it receives for each test purchased. Also, if the test is administered at the school, it will also receive a rebate for being a testing center.
I also noticed that they're dumping supply costs onto the students as well as some maintenance cost (lockers).
The fee for Naviance, I'm assuming it's part of the curriculum, is questionable to me.
Parking fees and graduation fees are getting to be pretty standard, especially parking.
The fee for a sticker that goes on the student ID (presumably) to prove that the kid is really a student is overkill.
An ASB sticker wouldn't be required for every student but only students who compete in sports or join clubs. That's something that is common with schools. My schools in California always required it for participating in sports, not clubs, (you could get it waived if you were low income), and California doesn't allow charging for much in public schools.
I checked our school site for high school. We will have a 4th grader and two in kindergarten. We havent paid a registration fee for our kids in the early grades yet. We have school open house where we see who the teacher is and he gets to put off the school supplies and get his locker.
I did check the high school though and there is a 20 dollar registration fee -- for lockers, season tickets to all high school sports, etc. Yearbook not included. There is a participation fee for H.S. 130 dollars for hockey....105 for football and 90 for other sports.
I don't recall that the fees due on actual registration day were outrageous. It's the $50 here, $50 there over the course of the school year that gets you.
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