Public school fees go largely unchecked in Louisiana, prompting reform proposals
Ursula Clark-Holmes, who has three children attending public schools in Baton Rouge, is beset by so many student fees that she even offered to offset the charges by volunteering at the schools.
"I can't afford these school fees," said Clark-Holmes, who husband died recently. "I literally can't."
She is not alone.
In a state where two out of three public school students live in low-income homes, fees for homeroom, ID's, lockers, PE uniforms, parking and technology have sparked controversy for more than two years.
Parents and others contend that what schools routinely charge parents, including up to $300 for some courses, has reached a breaking point.
"If you don't pay your fees she can't do this, she can't do this," Clark-Holmes said of children being denied school activities.
"How are you going to penalize a child for what the parents cannot pay?" she asked.
Mike Faulk, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said school districts need to make changes before state lawmakers order them.
"What we are trying to do is encourage superintendents to look at the issues, to look at what is going on in their school systems, to develop policies and to be transparent about fees and stuff prior to anything being mandated by the Legislature," said Faulk, former superintendent for the Central school system.
Under current rules, principals, superintendents and school boards enjoy near unchecked authority when it comes to imposing fees on students.
While 27 states regulate fees, state laws in Louisiana barely touch the topic.
Roughly a dozen school districts and schools imposed student fees totaling nearly $3 million for the financial year that ended June 30, 2016, according to the latest state tally.
That includes the Ascension Parish School District, $932,920; Lafayette, Continue reading: Public school fees go largely unchecked in Louisiana, prompting reform proposals | Education | theadvocate.com
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