Registration Fees - Rant

[NVDisMom]

Both of our girls are in middle school this year. We have always had misc costs related to school, but the letter I received today really bothered me. What do you guys think? Are you facing the same stuff?

Middle School Registration Fees Form
Asks for student identifying info, tells me to include a check for all of the fees listed and to not submit this form without payment and that the student will not receive their schedule until it is paid.

$8 Student Planner Required of all students
$7 Student ID/Lanyard Required of all students
$25 Yearbook
$10 7th grade year end party
$7 8th grade year end party
The last three are not mandatory, although it doesn't say that, but it does inform you that prices will go up the later you pay.

$30 Team Fee ($25 last year plus mandatory shirts in the spring, that they wore once, I'm sure the shirts will be extra this year too)
Plus, different fees per class ranging from $3 to $44. Art is $3 a quarter, music is $44 for the year including the mandatory shirt. PE another $25. Language Arts $4, Science $20 and begging for more, History $9 and again asking for more. Followed by a warning that more fees may be required throughout the year. This group of teachers really likes project based education, but supplies are never provided in class and Katie bar the doors if your student needs to print something at school.

This is all in addition to the laundry list of required supplies (including class room ink, copy paper, tissues...) and last year we paid for field trips separately as well.

Bottom line, not including yearbooks and end of year parties, each of my girls will need approximately $125 EACH just to start school. Plus supplies now to start school and the individual project materials throughout the year.

Am I the only one finding this slightly unnecessary?

Thanks for listening. I, of coarse, will be paying it, but I will not be happy writing that $250 check! That's more than my electric/gas bill each month!

 

[eliza61]

The only way to not pay it is to not have the functions. Sorry, in this case we (general public) is to blame. Why do 7th graders need an end of year celebration same thing for 8th grade. hey I don't do any of that, the kid is getting promoted, they did not develop a cure for the common cold. We are starting to make celebrations for the most ridiculous things. Kindergarten graduation, first grade graduation, etc, etc. What's next, Little Johhny crossed the street today please join us in celebrating, oh by the way it will be $15 bucks to cover the cost.

Why should the school fund this nonsense?

I've never heard of each individual class requiring fees but it may be time to visit with the principal and have a chat. What happens to the poor kids who's family is lower income and can't afford all these fees.

 

[wenrob]

It's going to cost me a minimum of $200 to get my DD set up for her Freshman year. Luckily I knew about this before she was finished with middle school and just set it aside over the summer. I feel ya. (eta:the $200 does not include the miscellaneous fees I'm sure will come up over the course of the year.)

The problem is that other kids never pay and so the fees go up every year. My DD's Art class was twenty five dollars last year and several kids NEVER paid. They were still allowed to participate which burned me big time. The art teacher of course knew this would happen which is why she charged so much. These aren't disadvantaged kids that didn't pay either, they just didn't. Here they can't require kids to pay these fees and they still have to let them participate. The teachers have gone from asking for supplies for the classroom (which I did gladly all through grade school) and just ask for cash now.

 

[jen42002]

I wish I could get away with $250 for two kids. We have four elementary school age kids. Fees per kid are $203. That's $812 I need to pay tomorrow That doesn't even include the $40 or so each for supplies. Middle and high school are even worse.

 

[eliza61]

It's going to cost me a minimum of $200 to get my DD set up for her Freshman year. Luckily I knew about this before she was finished with middle school and just set it aside over the summer. I feel ya. (eta:the $200 does not include the miscellaneous fees I'm sure will come up over the course of the year.)

The problem is that other kids never pay and so the fees go up every year. My DD's Art class was twenty five dollars last year and several kids NEVER paid. They were still allowed to participate which burned me big time. The art teacher of course knew this would happen which is why she charged so much. These aren't disadvantaged kids that didn't pay either, they just didn't. Here they can't require kids to pay these fees and they still have to let them participate. The teachers have gone from asking for supplies for the classroom (which I did gladly all through grade school) and just ask for cash now.

Hey Wen, I'm going with the ones who didn't pay here. sorry but $200 bucks is a ridiculous amount to fork over each and every year simply to get a kid in a class in a public school that I am already paying taxes to fund. Not including the mandatory stuff like notebooks, pens, etc.


I know school districts are strapped but so am I.
Now whenever a teacher charges a fee, I'm the first in the principals office asking what it is for, why is it so much and why can't the school budget cover it.

Do you guys challenge these fees? or at least questioning them? What do the disadvantage kids do? I would be beyond mad if I had just been laid off, struggling to make ends meet and now a school districts wants another 200 bucks on top of what I pay in property taxes to fund the schools.

 

[princessmom29]

I teach high school. Our school has to charge these fees to keep the programs running. If you want your child to have labs in science, you have to pay the lab fee or the teacher cannot buy the supplies. The school board buget makes no provision for buying them. If you want your child to have music to play in music class, you have to pay the fee so the teacher can buy sheet music. Agian, there are no funds allocated for this. Sports fees- If you want the school to be able to pay its insurance bills to keep the sport running you have to pay the fee. We got no money for classroom supplies this year. I bought markers for the board, red pens, pemcils for the kids to borrow, loose leaf, sanitizer,tissues, and towels to get started. I am asking the kids to bring in more sanitizer, a box of pencils, a box of tissue, or a roll of towels. If they don't I don't know that I can keep us supplied all year. This is the sad truth of what buget cuts at the highest levels have done to public education. When i was in school we didn't pay these ffes because there was money in the buget to take care of thosethings. There just isn't any more, and it isn't the schools fault. Talk to you legislator. They are the ones cutting the school's buget to the point that we are forced to charge parents to make up the difference.

 

[wenrob]

Hey Wen, I'm going with the ones who didn't pay here. sorry but $200 bucks is a ridiculous amount to fork over each and every year simply to get a kid in a class. Not including the mandatory stuff like notebooks, pens, etc.

I know school districts are strapped but so am I.
Now whenever a teacher charges a fee, I'm the first in the principals office asking what it is for, why is it so much and why can't the school budget cover it.

Do you guys challenge these fees? or at least questioning them? What do the disadvantage kids do? I would be beyond mad if I had just been laid off, struggling to make ends meet and now a school districts wants another 200 bucks on top of what I pay in property taxes to fund the schools.

As are we all. My point was because some kids never pay, the fees go up and up for the rest of us. Technically here, they can't charge and to be honest I feel resentful that they can ask. However, I know it comes out of the teacher's pockets, their budget is only so much, so I try to do my part. I draw the line when the teacher wants a dazzling $50 scrap booked book report.That $200 does not include celebrations btw.

There is a program for disadvantaged kids.

 

[eliza61]

I teach high school. Our school has to charge these fees to keep the programs running. If you want your child to have labs in science, you have to pay the lab fee or the teacher cannot buy the supplies. The school board buget makes no provision for buying them. If you want your child to have music to play in music class, you have to pay the fee so the teacher can buy sheet music. Agian, there are no funds allocated for this. Sports fees- If you want the school to be able to pay its insurance bills to keep the sport running you have to pay the fee. We got no money for classroom supplies this year. I bought markers for the board, red pens, pemcils for the kids to borrow, loose leaf, sanitizer,tissues, and towels to get started. I am asking the kids to bring in more sanitizer, a box of pencils, a box of tissue, or a roll of towels. If they don't I don't know that I can keep us supplied all year. This is the sad truth of what buget cuts at the highest levels have done to public education. When i was in school we didn't pay these ffes because there was money in the buget to take care of thosethings. There just isn't any more, and it isn't the schools fault. Talk to you legislator. They are the ones cutting the school's buget to the point that we are forced to charge parents to make up the difference.

So what happens to the kids that can't afford it? Sports is an extra curricular so that's excusable. If a kids parents can't pay a lab fee, do you kick him out of the science class? If every one stop paying the fee, your high school is still lawfully required to provide Science classes aren't they?

I'm sorry, I don't pay fees and I'll fully wear the pain in the #@$ tee shirt. This is a public school system, extra curricular stuff no problem but my school district will provide my kid with a full education "free of charge" like they are supposed to. That is why I pay over 10K in property taxes.

Nowadays, I'm not even talking disadvantage kids. Middle income parents are strapped to the brink. Unemployment is 10%. I do write and call my legislator but schools will also have to start budgeting.

Tissue, hand sanitizer. no problem . heck I'll even throw in pencils and markers for my sons classes but I draw the line at fees. Where does it end. When it adds up to $500 a kid? That's how I got to this point. first it was $75.00 bucks, then 100, then 150. I finally said not another dime when my son was a freshmen and it hit 200 bucks. I've got 3 kids. This year, I haven't heard but rumor is that it will be around $225. Not gonna happen. If I'm going to spend 500 bucks for my son, I'll scrap up the money and send him to private school.

 

[Darcy03231]

We don't pay any fees for our public schools. We do get a "suggested" list of supplies from the teachers, but even those aren't mandatory.

 

[wenrob]

So what happens to the kids that can't afford it? Sports is an extra curricular so that's excusable. If a kids parents can't pay a lab fee, do you kick him out of the science class? If every one stop paying the fee, your high school is still lawfully required to provide Science classes aren't they?

I'm sorry, I don't pay fees and I'll fully wear the pain in the #@$ tee shirt. This is a public school system, extra curricular stuff no problem but my school district will provide my kid with a full education "free of charge" like they are supposed to. That is why I pay over 10K in property taxes.

Nowadays, I'm not even talking disadvantage kids. Middle income parents are strapped to the brink. Unemployment is 10%. I do write and call my legislator but schools will also have to start budgeting.

Tissue, hand sanitizer. no problem . heck I'll even throw in pencils and markers for my sons classes but I draw the line at fees. Where does it end. When it adds up to $500 a kid? That's how I got to this point. first it was $75.00 bucks, then 100, then 150. I finally said not another dime when my son was a freshmen and it hit 200 bucks. I've got 3 kids. This year, I haven't heard but rumor is that it will be around $225. Not gonna happen. If I'm going to spend 500 bucks for my son, I'll scrap up the money and send him to private school.

With all the cuts what do you suggest they budget with? Believe me I get where you're coming from, I about keeled over when I saw the list but really by not at least paying some you're forcing the rest of us who also pay taxes to pay for your kid. There's no two ways about it. The schools simply do not have the money, the teachers do not have the money. They're not demanding money, they're desperate to teach what the law says they must and they've got nothing to do it with.

Again, there are programs set in place, any kid who can't afford it will not be left behind. Here if you don't have a backpack chock full of school supplies it's because you didn't go pick it up from any of the 100s of programs set up for just that purpose.

We don't pay any fees for our public schools. We do get a "suggested" list of supplies from the teachers, but even those aren't mandatory.

Honestly I don't think it's mandatory anywhere. Are your kids still in grade school? Cause once they hit middle school it's a whole different ball game.

 

[princessmom29]

So what happens to the kids that can't afford it? Sports is an extra curricular so that's excusable. If a kids parents can't pay a lab fee, do you kick him out of the science class? If every one stop paying the fee, your high school is still lawfully required to provide Science classes aren't they?

I'm sorry, I don't pay fees and I'll fully wear the pain in the #@$ tee shirt. This is a public school system, extra curricular stuff no problem but my school district will provide my kid with a full education "free of charge" like they are supposed to. That is why I pay over 10K in property taxes.

Nowadays, I'm not even talking disadvantage kids. Middle income parents are strapped to the brink. Unemployment is 10%. I do write and call my legislator but schools will also have to start budgeting.

Tissue, hand sanitizer. no problem . heck I'll even throw in pencils and markers for my sons classes but I draw the line at fees. Where does it end. When it adds up to $500 a kid? That's how I got to this point. first it was $75.00 bucks, then 100, then 150. I finally said not another dime when my son was a freshmen and it hit 200 bucks. I've got 3 kids. This year, I haven't heard but rumor is that it will be around $225. Not gonna happen. If I'm going to spend 500 bucks for my son, I'll scrap up the money and send him to private school.

When a kid doesn't apy science fees they get a pen and paper assignment rather than the lab. I don't have a chioce it I cannot buy the chemicals for lab, we cannot do the lab. I provide for those who have paid their fee, and try to porvide for those that haven't if I have extra money, which is rare. Local schools here are not in charge of thier own bugets. We are told how much money can be spent on teacher units, how much the science department gets, how much goes to varsity athletics ect. We don't get to choose, and at this point mast departments are getting NO funding for anything other than personell. Agian, talk to your legislator and don't blame the school. They didn't choose how the money was to be spent, butthey are stuck with the result of people who have never even set foot in a school as an adult making those decisions. Here, private school would cost you at least ten times what your school fees are, and that would be the cheapest schools. We are not high cost of living so I imagine it is much more elsewhere. I still think you are getting a good deal. Should you have to pay any fees? No, but the only person you are hurting by not paying them are your child and thier classmates who will not get to participate in activites becuase there are no funds for them. The legislators certianly don't seem to care. The local schools do, but there is not really anything they can do about it. It is so bad here at this point that I am spending my own time and money scouring used book sites to get together the study materials for my academic teams rather than asking the parents to buy them. It is not my fault or my principals that ther is no money in the buget for academic teams, but we will certianly get blamed if we ask parents to contribute.

 

[eliza61]

With all the cuts what do you suggest they budget with? Believe me I get where you're coming from, I about keeled over when I saw the list but really by not at least paying some you're forcing the rest of us who also pay taxes to pay for your kid. There's no two ways about it. The schools simply do not have the money, the teachers do not have the money. They're not demanding money, they're desperate to teach what the law says they must and they've got nothing to do it with.

Again, there are programs set in place, any kid who can't afford it will not be left behind. Here if you don't have a backpack chock full of school supplies it's because you didn't go pick it up from any of the 100s of programs set up for just that purpose.


Honestly I don't think it's mandatory anywhere. Are your kids still in grade school? Cause once they hit middle school it's a whole different ball game.

Which makes me wonder, how do the schools where it's not mandatory survive? some how they manage to teach.

You are right, there are tons of organizations giving out free book bags unfortunately you have to be on public assistance or below the poverty line. What a great choice, go on welfare to get the necessary things your child needs to go to a PUBLIC school. On what alternate reality is that ok?

I'm in new Jersey, I haven't run across 1 program that will cut some one a $250 check to cover school fees.

Actually I'm hoping that every parent refuses to pay and then see what happens. I think the schools fully expect to keep charging more and more without any thought as to how this is strapping the parents.

How about we split the difference, all teachers, principals and administrators forgo a raise for 1 year and I'll cough up half the fees.

 

[princessmom29]

Which makes me wonder, how do the schools where it's not mandatory survive? some how they manage to teach.

You are right, there are tons of organizations giving out free book bags unfortunately you have to be on public assistance or below the poverty line. What a great choice, go on welfare to get the necessary things your child needs to go to a PUBLIC school. On what alternate reality is that ok?

I'm in new Jersey, I haven't run across 1 program that will cut some one a $250 check to cover school fees.

Actually I'm hoping that every parent refuses to pay and then see what happens. I think the schools fully expect to keep charging more and more without any thought as to how this is strapping the parents.

How about we split the difference, all teachers, principals and administrators forgo a raise for 1 year and I'll cough up half the fees.

I haven't had a raise in 5 years, and my school lost 5 teachers last year, so how about paying the school fees??

 

[mstinson14]

We don't pay any fees for our public schools. We do get a "suggested" list of supplies from the teachers, but even those aren't mandatory.

same here and my dd is going into high school and we still don't pay anything

 

[eliza61]

When a kid doesn't apy science fees they get a pen and paper assignment rather than the lab. I don't have a chioce it I cannot buy the chemicals for lab, we cannot do the lab. I provide for those who have paid their fee, and try to porvide for those that haven't if I have extra money, which is rare. Local schools here are not in charge of thier own bugets. We are told how much money can be spent on teacher units, how much the science department gets, how much goes to varsity athletics ect. We don't get to choose, and at this point mast departments are getting NO funding for anything other than personell. Agian, talk to your legislator and don't blame the school. They didn't choose how the money was to be spent, butthey are stuck with the result of people who have never even set foot in a school as an adult making those decisions. Here, private school would cost you at least ten times what your school fees are, and that would be the cheapest schools. We are not high cost of living so I imagine it is much more elsewhere. I still think you are getting a good deal. Should you have to pay any fees? No, but the only person you are hurting by not paying them are your child and thier classmates who will not get to participate in activites becuase there are no funds for them. The legislators certianly don't seem to care. The local schools do, but there is not really anything they can do about it. It is so bad here at this point that I am spending my own time and money scouring used book sites to get together the study materials for my academic teams rather than asking the parents to buy them. It is not my fault or my principals that ther is no money in the buget for academic teams, but we will certianly get blamed if we ask parents to contribute.

I am in no way blaming any teachers, I know you guys are between a rock and a hard place. Our school districts are set up a little different. State laws require certain standards. for example my sons h.s. has to provide all science classes with a lab. they have no choice, they must spend the same amount on each kid whether that kids parents has a million dollars or are on welfare. this is to ensure a certain minimum standard of education. So no teacher here should be force to buy chemicals for the lab classes.

Like I said, academic and sports teams are not essentials. If my sons wants to participate on a "team" I fully expect to pay. no problem. Most teams have booster clubs that also fundraise throughout the year. We also have a PTA that fund raises for the senior prom, but if I now have to start paying for my kid to take a freakin math class, then it's no longer Public education is it? So next year in order to take a language class they start charging 200 bucks, is that ok? what about geometry? what happens when that starts charging $100 bucks.
Heck why not call it what it is, tuition.

Personally I'm hoping that state school vouchers get passed. It will probably be to late for my middle kid (he's a 10th grader) but I'd pull my middle school kid out of public school in a nanosecond.

 

[uk_wildcat]

School fees are $50 per child here in elementary school. I am sure it is higher in middle and high school, but I only have an 8 and 5 year old.
Last year I totally forgot about the fees in the beginning of the year and got a note close to the end of school about paying them. In the past, they sent letters in the beginning of school that said if fees weren't paid, kids wouldn't get report cards. I think last year they didn't send these out because they know how the economy is. I did pay the fees before school was out because I know how much school budgets have been cut and I am sure the money was used for educational materials that were needed.
I am quite sure that the majority of families did not pay these fees, so my $50 was probably spread around to pay for other children. That is ok with me. I don't worry about what other parents are paying or not paying. I do my part and move on.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Yikes! My kids schools do not have any fees.

 

[wenrob]

Which makes me wonder, how do the schools where it's not mandatory survive? some how they manage to teach.

You are right, there are tons of organizations giving out free book bags unfortunately you have to be on public assistance or below the poverty line. What a great choice, go on welfare to get the necessary things your child needs to go to a PUBLIC school. On what alternate reality is that ok?

I'm in new Jersey, I haven't run across 1 program that will cut some one a $250 check to cover school fees.

Actually I'm hoping that every parent refuses to pay and then see what happens. I think the schools fully expect to keep charging more and more without any thought as to how this is strapping the parents.

How about we split the difference, all teachers, principals and administrators forgo a raise for 1 year and I'll cough up half the fees.

Not true, there are drives everywhere and you don't have to apply to simply walk up and get your book bag. You're telling me in New Jersey your news stations, outreach programs, churches on and on do not set up these programs and would require proof of poverty if they do?

On the raises how much do you think teachers make? They're bordering on the poverty line themselves.

C'mon, you don't think these people are doing the very best that they can with what they have? Is $200 ridiculous? Damn right, but I wouldn't be paying $200 if people (general, remember this is a problem where I'm at) had a sense of community and chipped in a little bit rather then just not paying. Why does it have to be all or nothing? Do you really in your heart of hearts believe that if people simply refuse to pay the money would somehow materialize? Watch the news and you'll see it won't.

 

[Leajess99]

Which makes me wonder, how do the schools where it's not mandatory survive? some how they manage to teach.

You are right, there are tons of organizations giving out free book bags unfortunately you have to be on public assistance or below the poverty line. What a great choice, go on welfare to get the necessary things your child needs to go to a PUBLIC school. On what alternate reality is that ok?

Our schools do not charge fees and the middle school even provides the planners for the kids. My daughter has both art and Chorus this year as well as the basic classes and there are no extra fees for them either. The art teacher used to require drawing pencils and a sketch pad for the art kids but now they are only recommended. I bought both for my dd as you can get them fairly cheap at Michael's with a coupon.

I also have one in high school and he did mention something about needing $35 for senior fees but I guess that is for the prom and things like that. Not really sure as I have not had a chance to read the paper he has on it.

As for the back packs and school supplies, the only places here that do the backpacks are the school resource centers. We did have a church or two that would give out supplies as part of their back to school bashes but not sure if they did it this year as we were gone for much of the summer. Oh yeah, when we lived in Kansas the only way to get the backpacks with supplies was through the United Way and it was income based. It was funny the year we were there and qualified as they had UK backpacks and my son was a UK fan having just come from Kentucky. That was the backpack he chose. There are no programs like that here.

I guess after reading about some other schools and districts I am even more thankful for what we have. I love my youngest's school as the staff and teachers are very wonderful and I would do whatever necesary for that school. The same for the middle school as I know I can email the assistant principal and get issues take care of. There are a few teachers that I don't care for but for the most part a great school. The high school is okay but out of the choices in this district it is the best.

 

[princessmom29]

Not true, there are drives everywhere and you don't have to apply to simply walk up and get your book bag. You're telling me in New Jersey your news stations, outreach programs, churches on and on do not set up these programs and would require proof of poverty if they do?

On the raises how much do you think teachers make? They're bordering on the poverty line themselves.

C'mon, you don't think these people are doing the very best that they can with what they have? Is $200 ridiculous? Damn right, but I wouldn't be paying $200 if people (general, remember this is a problem where I'm at) had a sense of community and chipped in a little bit rather then just not paying. Why does it have to be all or nothing? Do you really in your heart of hearts believe that if people simply refuse to pay the money would somehow materialize? Watch the news and you'll see it won't.

exactly. As I said before, if parents refuse to pay, programs will close. there will be no music class, no voleyball team, and no art class. We cannot offer what we don't have the money to fund. It is already happening in some schools in our state. Art and music are no longer offered becase there are no funds.