STUDENT FEES AND CHARGES

STUDENT FEES AND CHARGES

po6152Adopted February 1, 2002Revised October 10, 2023

6152 - STUDENT FEES AND CHARGES

The School Board may assess and collect a reasonable fee for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the selection, care, custody, maintenance, and return of all curricular materials and supplementary materials and equipment and provide for the assessment of fees for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials.

The late return of borrowed books or materials from the Corporation's school libraries shall be subject to appropriate fees.

Any fees collected by members of the staff are to be turned in to the Business Office within twenty-four (24) hours after collection.

Fees assessed for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials or equipment shall be collected in accordance with the Superintendent's administrative guidelines (AG 2510B - Collection of Fees for Lost or Significantly Damaged Curricular Materials).

If the above course of action does not result in the fee being collected, the Board authorizes the Corporation's local counsel to take the student and/or parents to Small Claims Court for collection if the claim does not exceed $1,500 (if a Corporation employee) or the jurisdictional limit of the county small claims court (if the Corporation's local counsel or a collection agency). If the claim exceeds the jurisdictional limit of the county small claims court the Board authorizes the Corporation's local counsel to pursue a collection action in the appropriate court against the student and/or the parents.

Fees collected for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials shall be deposited in a separate curricular materials account (I.C. 20-40-22-9) for the school in which the student was enrolled at the time the fee was imposed.

Nothing in this policy restricts the right of access of a parent or student to school records or to receive copies of such records, as required by Federal and State laws.

Fees for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials may be charged to or collected from a student whose parent meets the eligibility standard for financial assistance, an emancipated minor who meets the eligibility standard for financial assistance, or a homeless student within the meaning of the McKinney-Vento Act. In such cases, the fees shall be paid by the Board, and the Board may apply for reimbursement from the Indiana Department of Education for the costs incurred or seek appropriate Federal funds, such as McKinney-Vento grant funds.

Any dispute regarding a charge or fee that is imposed shall not delay the enrollment of a homeless student or serve as a barrier to enrollment by delaying the transfer of student records to another school or school corporation, if applicable.

The Corporation shall give notice in nontechnical language and in a manner that reasonably can be expected to reach parents of students before the collection of any fees that are not for curricular materials. This notice shall inform the parents of the following:

  1. the availability of assistance
  2. the eligibility standards
  3. the procedure for obtaining assistance, including the right and method of appeal
  4. the availability of application forms at a designated school office
  5. that they may be required to pay a reasonable fee for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials
  6. the procedure for obtaining assistance
  7. the right to appeal an assessment of a fee for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials, including the procedure required

This notice shall be included when the statement of fees is mailed to the parents or emancipated minor.

If the Board determines that a hardship exists due to the inability of a student's family or an adult student or emancipated minor to pay any required fees or a reasonable fee for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials, taking into consideration the income of the family or the adult student or emancipated minor and the demands on the family or the adult student or emancipated minor, the Board may waive the fee.

The Corporation may write-off any outstanding unpaid fees for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials, or unpaid fees that are not for curricular materials, of $5.00 or less, if not paid by end of the school year following the school year or activity season in which the debt was incurred.

Unpaid fees for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials, or unpaid fees that are not for curricular materials, in excess of $5.00 may, at the discretion of the school treasurer or designee, be written off two (2)years after the end of the school year or activity season in which the debt was incurred. Fees in excess of $5.00 may be written off at any time, if the Principal or designee determines the student's parents, or the student, if age eighteen (18) or older or an emancipated minor, is unable to pay.

Revised 1/14/03
Revised 1/12/16
Revised 8/9/16
Revised 12/12/17 
Revised 6/13/23

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