The Edmonton Catholic School Board will be bringing back school fees starting Sept. 1, 2017.
In March 2016, trustees unanimously voted to suspend school fees for basic education costs for the 2016-17 school year.
“The board is concerned with economic pressures many of our families are facing, and we want to support them in an effort to ease their financial concerns,” Marilyn Bergstra, the board chair, said at the time.
The board said parents of children in the district spend a combined total of $7 million on school fees every year.
However, during Tuesday’s board meeting, a trustee explained the district couldn’t continue suspending the fees because of the “economic reality.”
“It’s not sustainable in our schools,” board chair Laura Thibert said. “There’s a big concern, as the education for years that go on, we want to make sure that all students have the resources they need. We’re still looking to make sure that education is a top priority and it’s not being sacrificed in any way and right now, we just have concerns.”
An agenda posted online shows a recommendation that the board “reinstates the collection of school fees using the guidelines set forth in Draft Administrative Policy and Regulation 130- Publicly Funded Basic Education and Additional Fees commencing Sept. 1, 2017.”
At the time, the board said it would reevaluate the situation at the end of the 2016-17 year and decide if it could continue.
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Tuesday’s agenda also addressed that section of the policy, explaining: “depending on the impact of the reduction in revenues at the schools level, it may be necessary to revisit GP#15 prior to the following school year. The board may find it necessary to reinstate school fees or a portion of fees in years to come.”
In December, the district presented the idea to its Strategic Leadership Council and decided a more uniform approach to fees might be best.
The recommendations to the school district are:
- A unified fee at each level (elementary, junior and senior high) and an explanation about what that fee encompasses
- Kindergarten = $35
- Grades 1 – 6 = $65
- Grades 7 – 9 = $80
- Grades 10 – 12 = $150, ($90 refundable caution fee)
- Clearer expectations and definitions about fees for complementary courses as well as for items that could be considered as individual user fees
- A list of resources that families should never be charged fees for
- A statement about school supplies that clarifies that students are not to be asked to provide materials for communal use
Schools still charge fees for items that are considered supplemental education costs to cover things like academy fees, field trips and extra-curricular activities.
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