Committee recommends stats quo for next year
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Student fees for the 2017-18 school year will remain essentially the same under a recommendation made by the Burlington Area School District’s Finance Committee Monday.
General fees – from books and materials to school lunches, activities, athletic and music participation and parking at Burlington High School – all remain at their current levels for next school year under the recommendation approved by the committee Monday night.
The only possible exception is a request to increase the fee charged for admission to the school’s annual musical theater production. The current ticket fee is $5 and the drama department has requested an increase to $8 to help cover the rising cost of obtaining play rights and staging production, according to district Business Manager.
Book and material fees are: $47 at Burlington High School; $37 at Karcher and Dyer schools; $32 at elementary schools; and $20 for 4-year-old kindergarten.
Lunch prices will remain at $2.65 at BHS, Karcher and Dyer, and $2.45 at the elementary schools.
Athletic participation fees at BHS will remain $75 with a $150 family cap and musical instrument rental remains $50 per year.
Better transparency
While there was little discussion among committee members about the actual fees, there was a relatively lengthy discuss of ways to improve transparency of fee uses so parents know what they’re buying.
“Parents woke up one day and found out the kids owed a lot of money,” School Board President and committee member James Bousman said. “It might help if they know what they were buying.”
Burlington High School Principal Eric Burling said in most cases the fees are for tools or materials that go above and beyond normal classroom supplies. In that case of art and technical education those fees go toward supplies for projects the students will make and take home. In the case of the anatomy and physiology course those fees include a lab coat and a stethoscope, he said.
Burling said the fees are currently included with the course catalog, but they are not always accompanied by an explanation of the items to which the fees are applied.
He said he would take steps to add another column to the course description to provide the additional information.
Bousman said such a move would help “defer any questions or concerns.”
Supt. Peter Smet explained that all of the district’s principals have the authority to waive fees for families that can’t afford them.
Burling said the principals are “very cognizant of the socio-economic situation across the district.”
He said the one area where he remains a “stickler” for the fee is the school parking lot. If a student can afford to drive a car to school on a daily basis rather than taking the bus – which is free – that student should be able to pay the $100 yearly parking fee.
Facility fee review
The committee also discussed a perceived need for a review of the fees the district charges to clubs, organizations and groups to use school facilities.
Bousman said the district continues to operate on a fee schedule that was developed in the 1990s.
Committee Chairman Kevin Bird suggested administrators study what other area schools are charging for facility use to provide a valid comparison for consideration.
Bousman said it is important to align the district’s fees with the desires of district residents – especially in light of those expressed in the facility referendums that failed in April.
“I think it will be an extended discussion on how we serve our communities,” he said.
Board member Phil Ketterhagen asked, “Are we subsidizing the community or are we covering our costs?”
Bousman replied, “I anticipate a lively discussion on that.”
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