Perrysburg school fee schedule reviewed by board

3/2/2005

The Perrysburg Board of Education yesterday reviewed a proposed fee schedule for next school year and discussed making major changes to the district's fees in future years.

The school district charges student fees for some classroom materials, such as workbooks and novels that students may keep. The proposal for next school year modifies some fees based on changing costs or adjustments to the curriculum.

Under the proposal submitted by district administrators, fees would remain $16 for kindergarten and $33 for first, second, and third grades. The fees would increase by $2 to $38 for fourth and fifth grades.

Fees for junior high school students would decrease next year for required courses. The fees would decrease by $5 to $42 for sixth graders, decrease $1 to $38 for seventh graders, and decrease $2 to $39 for eighth graders.

Fees would increase by a few dollars for 14 different classes at the high school, where students pay about $50 each year to take required classes and additional fees for electives.

"I think that fees for the required courses ought to be coming out of the general budget rather than an individual family's budget," board member Walter Edinger said. "For me, it's a philosophical thing about what public education is."

The school board also reviewed fees the district started charging last fall for college applications. The fees have caused some complaints from parents.

Officials recommended keeping the same fees next school year. The district gives each student one transcript for free and then charges $5 per transcript. For college application forms, guidance counselors fill out the first five forms for free and charge $25 for each additional form.

Officials said the transcript fees are needed because the district's record archiving company increased its rates. They said the college application fees are designed to raise money to pay guidance counselors to work extra in the summer and discourage students from applying to an excessive number of schools.