File: JHG
West Chester Area
School District
SECTION:
TITLE:
ADOPTED:
REVISED:
PUPILS
STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES
May 29, 2012
JHG – STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES
1.
Purpose
2. Authority
The West Chester Area School District has a tradition of offering high-quality
extracurricular programs to its students. In times of budget challenges, the
Board seeks to continue this tradition. However, it is the responsibility of the
Board to ensure that the costs of such extracurricular programs are reasonable
and controlled.
Growing costs associated with funded activities/sports should be offset by
student participants and their families. With the goal of developing increasing
ownership in the programs and a consideration of all stakeholder interests, fair,
reasonable and equitable student activities fees shall be established and
collected.
Fees shall be set at levels that will not discourage participation, within a
structure that represents underlying costs and a consideration of the fee policies
of surrounding districts and other support provided by booster organizations.
Provisions shall be made for the exemption from paying either a part or all of
the fees for students whose economic situation would otherwise preclude their
involvement in funded activities/sports.
3. Definitions
Activity Fee: A fee charged to supplement the expenses associated with
providing extracurricular opportunities to a student.
Activity Fee Waiver: An activity fee waiver offered by the District for
families experiencing financial hardship.
Family Fee Cap: The maximum limit placed on the amount of activity fees a
family has to pay to participate in funded activities/sports in all District schools
in a school year.
Free and Reduced Lunch Students: Categorically eligible students are those
who automatically qualify for free benefits by virtue of their status as one of
the following: (1) a member of a household, as determined by the
administering agency, receiving assistance under the Food Stamp Program, the
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations or the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Children Program; (2) enrollment in a Head Start or
Even Start program on the basis of meeting that program’s low-income
criteria; (3) a homeless child as determined by the District’s homeless liaison
or by the director of a homeless shelter; (4) a migrant child as determined by
the state or local Migrant Education Program coordinator or (5) a runaway
child who is receiving assistance from a program under the Runaway and
Homeless Youth Act and is identified by the local educational liaison.
Page 1 of 3
File: JHG
Student Activity Fees
Funded Activities/Sports: Extracurricular activities that are supported by paid
coaches or advisors.
Service Activities: Funded activities that involve students performing a service
to the school or the student body. Examples of service activities include but
are not limited to: Safety Patrol (elementary); Yearbook (middle and high
school), Student Government (middle and high school), class officers (9-12)
and National Honor Society.
4. Delegation
of Responsibility
The Superintendent or designee shall develop guidelines to implement this
policy.
5. Guidelines
The Board has established an activity fee. Parents and students will be notified
of the requirement to pay activities fees for funded activities/sports annually.
Students attending charter schools and home education students involved in
extracurricular programs in accordance with Board Policy IDDAC shall also
pay the required activity fee to participate in funded activities/sports.
Activity fees shall be collected in October of each school year for funded
activities/sports. To the extent the student has not already paid his/her activity
fee due to participation in another funded activity/sport, activity fees for sports
shall be collected after final cuts for the sports team are announced. Once a
student has participated in a funded activity/sport, no refund of the activity fee
shall be permitted.
An on-line system shall be available as the method of payment for all activity
fees.
Coaches and advisors of funded activities shall receive a list of students who
have paid their activity fee.
Participation in funded activities/sports is optional.
Fee Schedule
The Family Fee Cap shall be $200.00 per family for each school year.
Tier One – Elementary School Students
Families of elementary school students shall be assessed a $25.00 activity fee
per student for each school year, which shall allow the student to participate in
one or more elementary school funded activities or sports. Examples include,
but are not limited to, orchestra, band, chorus and intramurals.
Tier Two-Middle School Students
Families of middle school students shall be assessed a $50.00 activity fee per
Page 2 of 3
File: JHG
Student Activity Fees
student for each school year, which shall allow the student to participate in one
or more funded activities or sports.
Tier Three – High School Students
Families of high school students will be assessed a $75.00 activity fee per
student for each school year, which shall allow the student to participate in one
or more funded activities or sports.
Exceptions
Free and Reduced Lunch Students shall not be required to pay an activity fee
to participate in funded activities/sports. The identity of Free and Reduced
Lunch Students shall be kept confidential.
Families experiencing financial hardship may apply for an Activity Fee
Waiver. Applications may be obtained on-line or by contacting the building
principal and shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent. The identity
of students receiving Activity Fee Waivers shall be kept confidential.
Participation in a Service Activity shall not require the payment of an activity
fee.
This new board policy was created to address the implementation of
student activity fees.
West Chester Area School District, West Chester, Pa
Page 3 of 3