Waiver of Student Fees
Book: District Policies
Section: 4: Operational Services
Number: 4.140
Status: Active
Legal: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.13, 5/10-22.25 and 5/28-19.2. 23 Ill.Admin.Code §1.245 [may contain unenforceable provisions].
Adopted: February 19, 2008
Reviewed/Adopted: May 19, 2014
Revised: February 17, 2015
Student Fees, Fines and Charges
The Superintendent will recommend to the School Board for adoption any changes to the schedule of registration fees for all grade levels. Students may be charged fees for consumable materials, rental of books and equipment, lost or damaged textbooks, replacement identification cards, gym uniforms, drivers education and other items.
Consumable Materials- Students may be assessed a consumable fee for certain classes. If a consumable fee is applicable, it will be noted in the relevant course catalog.
Textbook Rental- Students will be assessed a textbook rental fee based on their respective grade level and disclosed annually as part of the registration materials.
Lost or Damaged Textbooks- Students may be assessed a fee for the replacement or repair cost of any non-consumable materials they fail to return in the condition in which they were received. This includes textbooks and library books.
Identification Cards- Students will be provided with an identification card annually. Should a student need a replacement card, a fee may be assessed for each new card requested.
Gym Uniforms- Currently the district requires students in middle school and high school to wear a district approved uniform for physical education. Uniforms may be purchased from the school directly.
Drivers Education- In addition to registration fees, those students who enroll in Drivers Education will also be assessed a fee. The fee will be disclosed annually as part of the registration materials.
In order that no student is denied educational services or academic credit due to the inability of parents/guardians to pay fees and charges, the Superintendent will ensure that a fee waiver process is in place and that fee waivers are widely available and distributed according to ISBE guidelines and State law. The district will provide an application process for income based fee waivers annually. By virtue of their direct certification for benefits eligibility by the State of Illinois, some students will have fees waived automatically and will not be required to complete an application. The District will notify parent(s)/guardian(s) as to the approval or denial of their waiver request. Denial of a fee waiver request may be appealed to the Assistant Superintendent for Operations.
In the event that a family is denied an income based fee waiver, they may appeal for a waiver based on hardship. Hardship appeals are to be made to the Assistant Superintendent for Operations. Additional documentation may be required for hardship waivers. The following may be given additional consideration in the hardship waiver process:
- Family illness or medical expenses
- Seasonal employment
- Foreclosure
- Catastrophic circumstances such as fire, flood or other storm damage
- Emergency situation
- Change in family status (divorce or separation since most recent tax return)
In the event a student is approved for an income based or hardship waiver, only fees for the current school year will be eligible for waiver. The following fees are eligible for waiver:
- Consumable fees
- Textbook rental
- Gym Uniform- the district will provide one in middle school and one in high school
- Drivers Education
The following fees are not eligible for waiver (this list is not all inclusive)
- Lost/damaged book or equipment fees
- Replacement identification cards
- Athletic or extracurricular fees including apparel which may be required for participation
- Cap and gown
- Parking permits
- Yearbooks
- Event tickets
- Testing fees (some assistance may be available depending on program)
Students whose fees are not paid in full or who are not current on their district established payment plan may be restricted from participating in the following activities, unless the administration determines that participation is required by law:
- Athletics- To participate in a sport, an athlete must have all fees (not just athletic fees) paid by the deadline which will be established each season and communicated to all families. Athletes who are not in good financial standing after that date will be allowed to continue to practice, but will not be allowed to compete or dress for a contest until the outstanding debt is resolved. This policy applies to both middle school and high school athletes.
- Extracurricular Activities- For activities with curricular impact, participation may be restricted dependent on the specific activity/club.
- Prom/Homecoming/8th Grade Dance- Eligible students wishing to attend any district sponsored dance must have their fees paid two days prior to the event. In addition, any former district student who wishes to attend prom as a guest must have any outstanding fees paid before a guest pass will be issued.
- Parking Permit- Any student wishing to purchase a parking permit must have all fees from previous school years paid prior to applying for a permit.
- Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies- To participate in the graduation ceremony at the high school level or promotion ceremony at the middle school level, students must have their fees paid two days prior to event.
- Official Transcripts- Only unofficial transcripts will be issued until all outstanding fees are paid.
Questions about the District fee waiver process should be directed to the Director of Finance.
CROSS REF.: 4.130 (Free and Reduced-Price Food Services)
6.190 (Extra and Co-Curricular Activities)
