Procedure – Student Fees, Fines, Charges
Student fee schedules for individual buildings must be approved by the superintendent or designee annually. Each building will submit an annual report which includes a report indicating the fees collected by each department. In establishing fees for classes, the following guidelines will be used:
- Class registration literature will describe fees for each class or activity and the process for obtaining a waiver or fee reduction;
- A fee may be collected for any program in which the resultant product is in excess of minimum requirements and, at the student’s option, becomes the personal property of the student. Fees may not exceed the cost of the materials. The district will furnish materials for those introductory units of instruction where a student is acquiring the fundamental skills for the course. A student must be able to obtain the highest grade offered for the course without being required to purchase extra materials;
- A fee may be collected for personal physical education and athletic equipment, apparel and towels or towel service. However, any student may provide his/her own if it meets reasonable requirements and standards relating to health and safety;
- A reasonable fee, not to exceed the actual annual maintenance cost, for the use of musical instruments and uniforms owned or rented by the district may be collected;
- Students may be required to furnish personal or consumable items including pencils, paper, erasers and notebooks;
- Security deposits for the return of materials or equipment may be collected. Provisions will be made to return the deposit when the student returns the item at the conclusion of the school term; and
- A fee may be collected for a unit of instruction where the activity necessitates the use of facilities not available on the school premises, and participation in the course is optional on the part of the student. A waiver or fee reduction need not be offered for such activities.
Fees will not be levied for:
- Field trips required as part of a basic educational program or course;
- Textbooks (non-consumable) that are designated as basic instructional material for a course of study; or
- Instructional costs for necessary staff employed in any course or educational program.
Fee waivers and reductions will be granted to students whose families would have difficulty paying because of their low income. For students and families participating in the national school lunch program, the school breakfast program, or both, the USDA Child Nutrition Program guidelines will be used to determine qualification for a fee waiver or reduction. The district will annually distribute and collect information and an application for all households of children in kindergarten through grade twelve to determine student eligibility for free or reduce-price meals in compliance with chapter 28A.235 RCW, Policy 6700, and Procedure 6700P.
If a student has not paid for five or more previous meals, the school shall follow the procedures and requirements in Policy 6700 and Procedure 6700P.
When the district withholds students’ diplomas for failure to pay a fine or charge for damages, the district will publish and maintain the following information on its website, either with information published under RCW 28A.325.050 or in a different location on its website that facilitates easy access to information: the number of diplomas withheld, by graduating class, during the preceding five school years, with data from the prior reporting year updated annually to reflect the release of diplomas; and the number of students with withheld diplomas who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals during their last two years of enrollment in the district.
All fees will be deposited with the business office on a regular basis. The respective departments and schools will be credited with the amount of their deposit.
Adoption Date: 08/28/13
Classification: Encouraged
Revised Dates: 07/07/21; 10/04/23