USD 489 offers updates on transportation and fees for 2014-15

Submitted by Hays USD 489

Beginning July 1, Hays USD 489 will be increasing fees for the 2014-15 school year. At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, the board took action to set the fees for the upcoming school year, so that patrons could begin to plan accordingly.

The consensus of the Board, after Monday night’s action to increase fees, is to reduce the fee schedule should the Local Option Budget pass on June 27. The board stressed that the basis for these increases is to support the main goal of reducing class sizes kindergarten to sixth grade.

What you can plan for the 2014-15 school year:

• Transportation: The Board of Education approved the following transportation plan: To discontinue transportation within a 2.5 radius of the student’s attendance center and continue to transport students city and rural routes over 2.5 miles from their attendance center. There will also be a change in the mileage reimbursement rate from 56 cents per mile to 17.5 cents per mile.

• Workbook/materials fee: The Board of Education approved a workbook/materials fee increase from $100 to $160 per student, for the 2014-15 school year only.

• Activity fee: The Board of Education approved an activity fee increase of $50 per student for sixth through 12th grades, for the 2014-15 school year only. The change would result in an increase in the activity fee for Hays High students from $16 to $66 and Hays Middle School students from $12 to $62.

• Kindergarten fee: The Board of Education approved a fee of $150 per kindergarten student; with a reduced fee of $75 per student for families that qualify for reduced lunch and no fee for families that qualify for free lunch under the qualifications set forth by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program. The kindergarten fee will be applied until future action by the Board of Education.