STUDENT FEES

The board realizes some activities may require additional expenditures which are properly to be borne by students as a separate charge.   Such charges may be waived as specified below depending upon the student’s eligibility for the free and reduced-price lunch program.   No fees, specialized or non-specialized, attire or equipment shall be required of students outside this policy.   This policy does not apply to tuition payments be nonresident students.

For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions shall apply:

1. Extracurricular activities means student activities or organizations which are supervised or administered by the school district, which do not count toward graduation or advancement between grades, and in which participation is not otherwise required by the school district.
2. Postsecondary education costs means tuition and other fees associated with obtaining credit from a postsecondary educational institution.

The district may change student fees or require students to provide specialized equipment or attire in the following areas:

1. Participation in extracurricular activities, including extracurricular music courses;
2. Admission fees and transportation charges for spectators attending extracurricular activities;
3. Postsecondary education costs, limited to tuition and fees associated with obtaining credits from the postsecondary institution;
4. Transportation fees for option students not qualifying for free lunches and nonresident students as allowed by statute;
5. Copies of student files or records as allowed by state statute;
6. Reimbursement to the district for property lost or damaged by the student;
7. Before-and-after school or pre-kindergarten services in accordance with state statute;
8. Summer school or night school; and
9. Breakfast and lunch programs.

The district may also require students to furnish musical instruments for participation in optional music courses that are not extracurricular activities. Students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches shall be provided with a musical instrument of a school’s choice.

Waivers shall be provided to students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches for fees, specialized equipment and specialized attire required for participation in extracurricular activities.

The superintendent shall establish a Student Fee Fund and ensure that funds collected as fees for the following purposes are properly recorded and deposited to it:

1. Participation in extracurricular activities;
2. Postsecondary education costs; and
3. Summer school or night school.

The superintendent shall promulgate regulations outlining the purposes for which fees in these three areas are collected and shall ensure such fees are spent for those purposes.

The superintendent shall promulgate regulations to be published annually in the student handbook authorizing and governing:

1. Any non-specialized clothing required for specified courses and activities;
2. Any personal or consumable items a student will be required to furnish for specified activities; and
3. Any specialized equipment or specialized attire which a student will be required to provide for any extracurricular activity, including extracurricular music courses.

The superintendent shall also promulgate regulations authorizing and governing the following areas:

1. All fees to be collected within the nine numbered areas of the above paragraph of this policy;
2. Any other types of specialized equipment or attire to be provided by all students in the nine numbered areas of the above paragraph of this policy;
3. Procedures and forms for students or parent/guardians to apply for waivers under this policy;
4. Deadlines for waivers for all types of fees;
5. Procedures for students receiving postsecondary education credits;
6. Procedures for handling of fees related to summer school or night school; and
7. Attendance requirements and procedures in connection with evening, weekend or summer use of facilities related to all extracurricular activities to avoid conflict with this policy.

The maximum dollar amount of each fee must be specified as part of this policy.

This policy will be reviewed and re-adopted annually by August 1 at a regular or special meeting of the Board.   This shall include a review of the amount of money collected under this policy and the use of waivers a provided by this policy.   The policy shall be published in the student handbook provided at no cost to each household.

The Board recognizes that while certain fees, specialized equipment, or specialized attire are appropriate and authorized, some students and their families are not financially able to afford them.   The school district will grant waivers upon request to the students of families eligible for free or reduced priced meals under the federal Child Nutrition program.

Waivers must be requested prior to the commencement of the activity.   Waivers will not be approved retroactively for fees previously paid or specialized items, or attire purchased by students.   Only those fees and items eligible for waivers as required by state statute shall be waived.

Parents or students eligible for waivers shall make an application on the form provided by the school district.   Applications may be made at any time prior to commencement of activity but must be renewed annually.   Denial of a waiver may be appealed to the superintendent, but eligibility is strictly dependent upon meeting financial guidelines established by the Child Nutrition program.

The school district will treat the application and waiver process as any other student record and student confidentiality and access provisions will be followed.

The school district will annually notify parents and students of the waiver.   The student fee policy and guidelines will be published annually in the Student Handbook.

The following fees, charges or fines will be assessed during the school year for students involved in the activities described.

Students may apply for waivers of some fees under district waiver guidelines.   The student fee policy and guidelines will be published annually in the Student Handbook.

Specific types of fees are offered below as examples.   Actual fees will vary according to district needs.   Some activities will have multiple fee levels based on charges per session, per season, degree of participation, length of usage or pay period, transportation distance, cost of damaged property, and so on.

PAY TO PLAY: $35.00 for each Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) sponsored activity to a maximum of $140.00.   All activities beyond the $140.00 maximum are at no charge.

Teachers shall follow the guideline below when establishing requirements for non-specialized clothing to be worn for the specified courses.   All requirements should be consistent with meeting the health, safety and instructional needs of the course.   Brand of the clothing should not generally be criteria for appropriateness.

Physical Education:

All students: T-shirt, tennis shoes, sports socks, gym shorts.
Junior High and High School Boys: Athletic supporter.
Junior High and High School Girls: Sports bra

Industrial Arts, Mechanics or Vocational Agriculture in workshop areas: Long trousers or denim jeans

Teachers may not require students to supply various personal or consumable items for use in courses.   However they may state that students are requested but not required to bring the following items for use in school.   The school must supply any items required for coursework but not brought by the students.

The district may set reasonable general guidelines on the use of consumables to avoid abuse and unnecessary waste of district resources.   The following list provides an example (and is not all inclusive) of the type of consumable items that teachers may request but not require the students to provide.

The district may require students to provide such personal and consumable items for extracurricular activities as follows: (this is not an all inclusive list).

Blank audio or video tapes
Reeds for musical instruments
Make-up kits for drama
Protective mouthpiece for sports

The following extra curricular activities require specialized equipment or specialized attire to be provided by participating students.   Students qualifying for free or reduced price meals are eligible to apply for waivers under school policy.