Does your local school district have any "mandatory" fees that they try to charge?

[pstokely]

Like a fee for books, activities that your kids don't participate in, or registration?

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-smsd-parents-not-happy-with-new-activity-fee-20110804,0,3522833.story

[WinkyDink]

1. Amazingly, mine just dropped the $20 parking fee.

[pstokely]

2. But parking is optional

I'm asking about fees just to attend school, not to park or play sports

[DrDan]

3. cut taxes - cut taxes - cut taxes ----- what do the parents expect

the schools cannot run on fumes much as the right would like

I think this is just the beginning. I would rather see teachers kept and those students that require bus transportation etc pay a fee. What are the districts to do?

[eilen]

4. Usually our school wants some money for an arts

program that is given to the entire district and it's something like $5 or $15. In the past, I've sent double or triple for the kids that don't bring anything in. In elementary schools they always ask for tissues and other stuff like that to get the classroom through the year but what is sent in probably doesn't last. Activities-- well, my son was not a joiner but the games usually cost a few dollars to see.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. We cut our teachers, cut their pay and benefits, and they

end up buying supplies that aren't being provided out of their own pockets. The parent teachers associations organize supply subsidy programs to help.

As a nation we have so lost our way.

[ThomWV]

6. Yes, it was called the "Education Bond" that they got passed in the last election

I don't have any children in school in this county, and in fact I have have or ever will have a child in school in this county. Never the less my property tax went up last year to pay for a Bond that was issued to pay (the interest) for the counties' school system. Is that not a mandatory school district fee?

[Chanacat14]

7. Yes...

I was just fee'd to death registering my daughter for high school. The sum of the manditory "fees" added up to $402.00. I still have another $405.00 worth of "Optional" fees that the would LIKE me to pay... however... I don't think so! Especially considering that I just bought one of her text books online at Borders, and have a second one to buy still. I'm putting off buying that one for now because it costs $125.00 everywhere I have looked.

BTW. The school had a financing table set up for parent who could not pay the fees. This is ridiculous! All I can say is thank goodness I have only one going to High School at the moment! Jeesh....

[Chanacat14]

8. ...some fines too...

... Out of the $405.00 that we still need to pay, $160.00 is apparently for fines. My daughter says she turned those items in last year, and had it cleared with her teachers, and that they shouldn't be showing up.

So that leaves only $245.00 in "opptional" fees/(no more fines) that they would like from me, and a manditory $125.00 text book... Heck ... I don't spend $550.00 on 1 kid for Christmas! Besides, I thought taxes were supposed to pay for public schools. What happened? (K... off rant.)

[LWolf]

9. Only for damaged or lost books,

which aren't mandatory unless a student damages or loses something.

There are "pay to play" fees for extra curriculars, but since those aren't mandatory, neither are the fees.

[surrealAmerican]

10. Yes.

They do give waivers to low income families, but the fees are supposedly mandatory for all students otherwise.

Most districts do this around here. It may or may not stand up to a court challenge if it came to that. It all comes down to how to interpret the state constitution.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. There was an elementary school teacher who insisted that kids stock the classroom in addition to

bringing in their own supplies. Failure to do so meant a grade impact. She was quite insistent she had the authority to do so and had been doing it for year. However, after a sudden demographic change in the district, parents blocked that. She blamed the problem on the "new trouble makers". Left the school the next year.