THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008
Dist. 207 Fees Going Up Slightly
By DWIGHT ESAU
Journal Reporter
Some student fees in High School District 207 will go up next school year, but a couple of them almost went up much higher.
By a 5-2 vote, the board of education approved administration recommendations for student fees for the 2008-09 school year. But the action came only after a mini-debate about balancing rising costs against asking parents to pay more in fees in a recessionary economy.
The debate centered on fees for driver education, student parking stickers, and yearbooks.
The driver education fee will increase $25 to $225 next year. While the Illinois School Code limits the fee for driver's training to $50, many large districts, including 207, have received a waiver that allows the board to charge up to $250, to recover costs. Citing the large recent increase in gasoline prices, board member Sean Sullivan suggested making the fee $250. His motion failed.
The student parking fee at Maine South is currently $100 annually, while stickers at East and West are $85. Noting this difference, member Eric Leys suggested that they be the same for all schools. Most other board members disagreed.
Leys then moved to table the entire fee proposal. That also failed, leaving an administration recommendation that the East and West parking fees be increased by $5, on the table. That was eventually approved.
Also recommended was an increase of $1.00, from $32.00 to $33.00, in the yearbook fee next year. Officials cited the latest price increase from the printer as the reason.
The administration-recommended fee package then was approved, with members Marijo Bustos and Leys voting no.
The approved 2008-09 fee schedule is as follows:
* Driver education - $225.
* ID badges - Remain at $2.00.
* Parking fees - $90 at Maine East and West, $100 at Maine South. The increases officials say, are to bring the fees charged at all buildings closer to a single district-wide amount.
* Sports admissions - To remain at $2.00 for students, 3.00 for adults, and $20 for a family pass.
* Student activity ticket - Remain at $8.00.
* Student insurance- To remain at $31.50 for accident coverage for school time, and $102 for 24-hour coverage. The football coverage will cost $71.50 per participant, with the district paying 50%.
* Technology fee - To increase $5 to $30, to cover the cost of implementing several new programs.
* Towel fee - To remain at $10 per student.
* Yearbooks - To increase $1.00 to $33.00.