Fees, Fines, and Charges

The school establishes fees and charges to fund certain school activities. Students will not be denied the opportunity to participate in curricular and extracurricular programs of the school district due to the inability of their parent or guardian to pay fees or certain charges. Students whose parent or guardian is unable to afford student fees may receive a fee waiver.

A fee waiver applies to all school, instructional, and extracurricular fees. Applications for fee waivers are available from the distirct's Business Office and may be submitted by a parent or guardian of a student assessed a fee. A student is eligible for a fee waiver if at least one of the following prerequisites is met:

• The student currently lives in a household that meets the same income guidelines, with the same limits based on household size, that are used for the federal free meals programs;
• The student’s parent is a veteran or active-duty military personnel with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line;
• The student is homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

The building principal will give additional consideration where one or more of the following factors are present:

• An illness in the family;
• Unusual expenses such as fire, flood, storm damage, etc.;
• Unemployment;
• Emergency situations; or
• When one or more of the parents/guardians are involved in a work stoppage.

The building principal will notify the parent/guardian promptly as to whether the fee waiver request has been granted or denied. Questions regarding the fee waiver application process or an appeal of the District’s decision to deny a fee waiver should be addressed to the Building Principal.

Pursuant to the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act, the school is required to provide a federally reimbursable meal or snack to any student who requests one, regardless of the student's ability to pay or any outstanding balance for prior meals or snacks. Students may not be provided with an alternative meal or snack, and the school is prohibited from publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay for or owes money for a meal or snack.

The Board of Education has adopted a policy (Policy 4:140), which permits the waiving of fees for textbooks and other instructional materials for students whose parents or guardians are unable to afford them. In order that no student is denied educational services or academic credit due to the inability of parents/guardians to pay student fees, the following fees are also waived for students who meet the eligibility criteria for a fee waiver: athletic participation fees, lock fees, towel fees, shop fees, laboratory fees, and registration fees.

Students receiving a fee waiver are not exempt from charges for lost and damaged books, locks, materials, supplies, and equipment. A student is automatically eligible for a fee waiver when:

• The student is eligible for free or reduced-priced lunches or breakfasts pursuant to 105 ILCS 125/1 et seq.;
• The student or student’s family is receiving aid under Article IV of The Illinois Public Aid Code; or
• The student’s status is documented as a runaway, homeless or migrant youth.

A student who is not automatically eligible for a fee waiver may nonetheless be eligible for a fee waiver if the student’s family has experienced unexpected financial hardship. A request for a non-automatic fee waiver should be made directly to the Chief School Business Official, and if granted, must be annually renewed.

An application may be obtained in the Business Office or by selecting the ISBE Fee Waiver Application.

Fee Waivers:

Any request for waivers of school fees shall be processed in accordance with the District’s Waiver of Fees for Students. Within 30 days, the District will notify the parent/ guardian if the fee waiver has been approved or denied, along with the appropriate appeal process.

Payment Schedules:

Students who are ineligible for a fee waiver and whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are unable to pay the required fees in the time limits prescribed by this policy may contact the Chief School Business Official to arrange for a payment schedule.

Returned Check Fee:

The Board of Education reserves the right to charge parent(s)/ guardian(s) a fee for any check given as payment for school fees which is returned to the District as unpaid whether due to insufficient funds, closure of account or other reason.