Fees help to pay for extracurricular, special school activities that are not required by state law but that are valuable to a child’s education. Fees for extracurricular, special activities need to be developed fairly and equitably across all activities.
Introduction: Exponential increase in social service, special education, ESL expenses – unfunded mandates that hit the District’s bottom line under revenue caps – means less money is available for school activities.
The following presentation on school fees was made by Bruce Kahn and Barb Schrank before the MMSD School Board on February 16, 2004 and addressed the following questions:
Why are there school fees today?
What are the costs of Extra-Curricular activities?
How do Extra-Curricular costs compare to instructional costs?
What happens when fees don’t cover costs?
What are some suggestions for your consideration?
Inform Parents and the Community –
Fees share the costs
Fees save academics
Fees save extra-curricular activities
Recommendation: Bring the Community to the Table – To explore alternative funding options now – to develop a plan.
Summary: We cannot wait for school funding options to be worked out – our kids are at risk of losing these important activities now. We need to take meaningful action immediately – You can e-mail Madison's School Board members at comments@madison.k12.wi.us.
Posted by Barb Schrank at May 8, 2004 11:06 PM | TrackBack