Section 2.1: School Related Operations

Approved: September 6, 2011

Revised: May 7, 2019

FEES FOR LEARNING MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES

1.0             Rationale

Every student has the right to attend a school, where he or she is a qualified resident pupil, without payment of a fee.  In general, there should be no fees charged for day school programs.  However, some activities or events may require some recovery of the cost for participation.  When schools or school boards choose, with the support of the school community, to offer enhanced or optional programming, parents/guardians may be asked to contribute resources in the way of time, money or materials to support these programs or activities. 

2.0             Definitions

Student Activity Fees: voluntary amounts that are used to supplement a student’s school experience through materials and activities such as student agendas, student recognition programs, yearbooks, extracurricular activities, school dances, or theme days.

Enhanced Programming and Materials: voluntary enrichments or upgrades to the curriculum or co-curricular activities beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations for a particular grade or course.  For example, in some performance and production courses (for example, music, woodworking), students may wish to use a superior product or consumable than that provided by the school, in which case they may be asked to pay the additional cost of the upgrade. 

Where students choose not to access these enhanced programs or materials, alternatives must be available as essential course materials required to meet the learning expectations of the course or grade and are to be provided at no cost.

Optional Programming: refers to voluntary courses or activities that students normally choose to attend through an application process, with the knowledge that these programs are beyond the core curriculum.  An example may include Hockey Canada Skills Academy.

3.0             Policy

It is the policy of District School Board Ontario North East not to charge student fees for the costs of materials and activities for elementary and secondary education. When appropriate, and with the support of the school community, schools may wish to offer programming and materials beyond what is necessary to meet the learning expectations of a particular grade or course. In those situations, for which charging student fees may be appropriate, no student should be excluded from participating in any school activity or event, of a reasonable nature, based on the ability to pay.  Procedures for the charging and collecting of student fees should, at all times, demonstrate the mission and values of the Board.