Chicago Public Schools wants to standardize school fees
Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. Chicago Public Schools wants to standardize the fees that schools charge families for things ranging from sports uniforms and field trips to graduation. The district also wants to tweak its student…
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is proposing standardized school fees across all its schools, aiming to create a more equitable fee structure. The district also plans to expand its student fee waiver policy, including homeless students and a clearer appeals process for families whose requests are denied. Currently, schools determine their own fees each year, with principals consulting Local School Councils and families in their native languages.
The proposed changes will see a district-level committee establish standardized fees, which schools can request to alter. The district defines school fees as payments required for a student's participation in curricular or extracurricular programs, excluding items like pencils and notebooks. The expanded fee waiver policy would include students in temporary housing under the McKinney-Vento Act.
District leaders are gathering feedback from parent leaders and will present the proposed changes to the Board of Education's finance committee, which recently voted 7-0 to recommend approval. However, some board members express concerns about the high percentage of low-income students who currently qualify for fee waivers.
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