Procedure 2.1.33 - Fees for Learning Materials and Activities
Procedure 2.1.33
Section 2.1: School Related Operations
Approved: September 6, 2011
Revised: June 24, 2025
FEES FOR LEARNING MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES
Procedures
1.0 Guidelines
1.1 The purposes for which the funds are collected are consistent with the Board’s mission and values.
1.2 Fees charged for school purposes are to complement, and not replace, public funding for education.
1.3 Students must be able to participate in school activities and access resources regardless of personal financial barriers.
1.4 No student will be refused participation in any school activity or event, of a reasonable nature, due to the economic circumstances of that student or their family.
1.5 All reasonable expectations for privacy of students and parents/guardians will be respected during the student fee collection process, and those who may be experiencing financial difficulty will be managed in a discrete manner.
1.6 Financial reports will be maintained and made available to the school community.
1.7 Successful completion of a required grade or course leading to graduation cannot be dependent on the payment of any course fee.
1.8 Fee amounts should reflect the actual cost of the service or materials provided to the student, and in all possible cases, should be modest and within certain limits.
1.9 Members of the school community should be consulted in the development of a school’s fee schedule and made aware of the use of student fees.
2.0 Key Principles
2.1 For the purposes of this document, curricular activities or materials are defined as related to the regular day school program. Extra-curricular activities are defined as outside the regular day school program.
3.0 Fee Charges
3.1 When determining whether fee charges may be appropriate, the following criteria may be considered. A fee charge shall be permissible for an activity, material, course or program if it is:
- Not required as part of the regular day school program;
- Voluntary and alternatives are offered;
- Non-essential or extracurricular in nature and is not required for graduation by an individual student; or
- A voluntary upgrade or substitute of a more costly material to the material provided for course purposes.
3.2 The following list provides examples of activities, programs or materials that may be considered for fee charges:
- Optional programming such as Hockey Canada Skills Academy program;
- Extracurricular trips, events or activities that are extensions to the curriculum and not required for graduation (e.g. dances, school clubs, theme days, athletics, band, drama, student council activities);
- Extended student trips or excursions that are not necessary to meet the learning expectations of a particular grade or course;
- Optional art or music supplies or higher quality woodworking, design or technology materials that students choose to use for course completion, as long as the required materials are available at no cost;
- Student activity fees;
- Parent and/or guardians may be asked to provide clothing, footwear and supplies not curricular in nature such as pencil cases, pencils, pens, paper, rulers or binders. If a student does not have the necessary supplies, schools should ensure that each student has what he or she needs to complete the activity or assignment;
- Special events, program enhancements or field trips (e.g. for costs of participation, rental of equipment or travel), if alternative programming and assignments are offered to students who choose not to participate; or
- Student agendas and/or yearbooks.
3.3 The following list provides examples of activities, programs or materials that are ineligible for fee charges:
- A registration or administration fee for students enrolled in any regular day school program;
- A textbook fee or deposit;
- Learning materials that are required for completion of the curriculum such as workbooks, cahiers, musical instruments, science supplies, lab material kits and safety goggles;
- Fees charged for the creation of discretionary accounts by teachers or departments;
- Mandatory flat fees for any course leading to graduation other than optional programming;
- A fee for a guest speaker, visiting teacher, or in-class field trip or presentation where the material being presented is a mandatory element of the subject or course;