School board OKs fees for all grade levels

A free public education in Oberlin will be a little more expensive next school year after the school board approved student fees to offset the cost of consumables used. But collecting the funds may prove problematic.

At their June 22 meeting, the school board voted unanimously, 3-0, to approve student fees of about $50 for each student from kindergarten through eighth grade, and specific course fees for high school students. Board members Marci Alegant and Beth Weiss were not at the meeting.

The fees range from $47.50 for kindergarten students, to $51.55 for fifth grade students. High school course fees range from $8 for a flash drive to use in English and personal finance classes, to $25 for art development, family consumer science, and clay for ceramics instruction.

In approving the fees, the board also voted to place a cap of $75 per high school student. Superintendent Geoff Andrews said by law students on the free lunch program can not be charged student fees, and students receiving reduced cost lunch will be charged half the normal fee.

The fees are expected to raise about $20,000 to pay for consumable materials used in education. The fifth grade fee of $51.55 breaks down as follows:

* Spelling workbook, $17.50

* Math workbook, $10.35

* School datebooks, $2.85

* Art supplies, $5

* Math workbook 2, $10.35

* Science supplies, $5.50.

Collecting the fees could prove problematic for the schools. Andrews said the schools have few options to persuade parents to pay the fees.

"Typically the only ramifications are, if a student moves out of the district you withhold their records unless they pay, or if they graduate, you withhold their diploma," Andrews said. "There's going to be some people that pay the fees and some that don't. We can't really put too much teeth in it."

Carol Hoffman said she and her husband Harlan Wilson have first-hand experience with school fees through mentoring students in a district within Lorain County that charged student fees. She said when the family was unable to pay, the schools withheld the students' report cards.

She said withholding that information caused considerable distress for the students and their family, and for Hoffman and Wilson who could not determine how their mentoring was helping.

Andrews said families would typically pay the fees at the schools where their children attend. Families with children in two or more buildings might want to pay with one check at the board office.

He said with the board having approved the amounts, he would write administrative guidelines regarding collections, payment plans, reminder notices, and other topics. He said a letter would be sent to parents toward the end of the summer to inform them of the fees.