School Fees Procedures

School fee waiver procedures are intended to be consistent with relevant state statutes (53G-7504) and rules (R277-407).  In the case of a discrepancy, the Utah Code shall prevail.

Establishing a Fee Schedule

A. The District shall annually develop a proposed fee schedule and submit it to the Board for review.

B. The Board shall annually review the school fees policy.

C. The annual fee schedule shall be adopted by the Board on or before April 1st of each year in a regularly scheduled public meeting of the Board.

D. Prior to adopting the annual fee schedule, the Board shall provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed fee schedule during a minimum of two public meetings of the Board.

E. The Board shall provide notice of the meetings to the public in accordance with the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act; and to parents and students using the same form of communication regularly used by the District to communicate with parents.

F. Minutes of the Board meeting during which the annual fee schedule and fee policies are adopted, together with copies of the approved fee schedule and policy, shall be kept on file and made available upon request.

G. The Board may adopt amended fee schedules after the April 1st date following the same approval process used for the original fee schedule.

Fee Schedule Requirements

A. The Board’s adopted fee schedule shall include:

1. a specific amount for each fee;
2. a clear and easy to understand delineation of each fee and the fee total for each activity, class, or program;
3. a per student annual maximum aggregate fee amount that schools may charge a student for the student’s participation in all courses, programs, and activities provided, sponsored, or supported by a school for the year, and a maximum fee amount per student for each activity; and,
4. a spend plan for the revenue collected from each fee charged.
   • the spend plan should provide students, parents, and employees with transparency by identifying the fee’s funding uses.
   • the spend plan shall include a list or description of anticipated types of expenditures, for the current fiscal year or as carryover for use in a future fiscal year, funded by the fee charged. 

B. The amount of revenue raised by a student through voluntary individual fundraisers or required group fundraisers shall be included as part of the maximum fee amount per student for the activity and maximum total aggregate fee amount per student.

C. Students and parents who do not qualify for fee waivers may not be charged an increased fee amount to cover the costs of students and families who qualify for fee waivers.

1. in calculating the expense incurred by the District or school in relation to an individual student, the cost of providing fee waivers to fee waiver eligible students may not be considered.
2. schools may notify students and families that they may voluntarily pay an increased fee amount or provide a donation to assist in covering the costs of other students and families.

D. A fee shall be equal to or less than the expense incurred by the District or school to provide for a student activity, course, or program.

E. An additional fee may not be charged, or a particular fee may not be increased to supplant or subsidize another fee.

F. A fee listed on a school fee schedule is the maximum amount which may be charged per student for a class or school sponsored or supported activity, including uniforms, travel, and clinics, regardless of whether the activity is labeled as curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular. The actual amount charged may be less.

Fees in Elementary Schools

A. No fee may be charged in elementary schools for any regular school day activity including assemblies and field trips, or for any snacks, materials, textbooks, instructional or school supplies, or fundraising.

B. An elementary school or teacher may provide to a student’s parent or guardian a suggested list of student supplies for use during the regular school day.  As such, a parent or guardian may furnish, on a voluntary basis, those supplies for student use. Such a list must include the following language:  Notice: The items on this list will be used during the regular school day.  They may be brought from home on a voluntary basis, otherwise, they will be furnished by the school.  

C. The school must provide any necessary school supplies not voluntarily furnished by a parent or guardian.

D. An elementary school may charge a fee related to any school-sponsored activity, that does not take place during the regular school day, if participation in the activity is voluntary and does not affect a student’s grade or ability to participate fully in any course taught during the regular school day.

Fees in Secondary Schools

A. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, a school may not charge a secondary student a fee that is:

1. general in nature, and
2. for a service or good that does not have a direct benefit to the student paying the fee.

B. A school may charge a secondary student a fee in connection with an elective curricular activity, class, or program provided, sponsored, or supported by a school that takes place during the regular school day

C. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, a school may not charge a secondary student a fee for a curricular activity that is required for the instruction of established core standards, with the following exceptions:

1. instructional equipment or supplies; 
2. a driver education course
3. payment of a fee for open enrollment or competency remediation
4. a music instrument rental; or
5. school activity clothing

D. A school may charge a secondary student a fee for a voluntary co-curricular or extracurricular activity, including the life-cycle replacement costs for school equipment directly related to the co-curricular or extracurricular activity.

E. A school may charge a secondary student or an individual a fee for an adult education course

F. A school may charge a secondary student a fee for tuition, college credit, an exam, or a textbook for an advanced placement course, an international baccalaureate course, or a concurrent enrollment course.

G. All fees are subject to district fee waiver provisions.

H. A school may require a secondary student to provide student supplies as defined in this policy. Student supplies are subject to fee waivers.

I. If a school requires special shoes or items of clothing that meet specific requirements, including requesting a specific color, style, fabric, or imprint, the cost of the special shoes or items of clothing are considered a fee, and subject to a fee waiver.

J. Remedial courses and credit recovery fees are subject to all school fee requirements. These fees shall be placed on the District’s fee schedule and are subject to fee waivers. Any instructional material provided for a student to complete a remedial course or credit recovery, is considered a textbook and therefore shall be provided free of charge.

K. Schools that provide, sponsor, or support an activity, class, or program outside of the regular school day or school calendar are subject to the provisions of this policy regardless of the time or season of the activity, class, or program.

Project Related Courses

A. In elective project related courses, projects required for course completion shall be free to all elementary school students and included in the approved course fee and be waivable for secondary students.

B. A school may require a student at any grade level to provide materials or pay for an additional discretionary project if the student chooses and the course teacher approves a project in lieu of, or in addition to, a required classroom project. The additional costs for the alternate project are not subject to a fee waiver.

C. A school shall avoid allowing high-cost additional projects, particularly if authorization of an additional discretionary project results in pressure on a student by teachers or peers to also complete a similar high-cost project.

D. A school or teacher may not require a student to select an additional project as a condition to enrolling, completing, or receiving the highest possible grade for a course.

Notice to Parents

A. Each school shall annually include a link to the following on the school’s website:

1. student fee policy and procedures;
2. fee waiver procedures;
3. fee waiver application;
4. fee waiver decision and appeals form;
5. district student fee notice; and
6. student fee schedule, including fee maximums.

B. The parent of each student shall be provided a copy of the fee schedule, fee waiver policies, and any other required school fee documents annually in the school’s registration materials, and upon registration to the parent of a student who enrolls after the initial registration period.

C. Upon request, the school shall provide printed copies of school fee schedule, waiver procedures, and related documents to a parent or guardian who is unable or chooses not to access them through the District or school website.

D. If more than 20 percent of the student or parent population of the District uses a single language other than English as their first language, the District will publish the fee schedule and fee waiver policies in the language of those families.

E. The administrator of a school shall arrange for a school or district representative to meet personally with each student’s parent or family and make available an interpreter for the parent to understand the fee schedule and waiver policies when the student or parent’s first language is a language other than English and the District or school has not published the information in the parent’s first language.

Collection of School Fees

A. A parent or student may not collect or receive student fees from other students or parents.

B. A school may pursue reasonable methods for collecting student fees, but may not, as a result of unpaid fees;

1. exclude a student from a school, an activity, class, or program that is provided, sponsored, or supported by a school or district during the regular school day;
2. refuse to issue a course grade; or
3. withhold official student records, including written or electronic class schedules, grade reports, diplomas, or transcripts.

C. A school may impose a reasonable charge to cover the cost of duplicating, mailing, or transmitting transcripts and other school records.

D. A school may not charge for duplicating, mailing, or transmitting copies of school records to an elementary or secondary school in which a former student is enrolled or intends to enroll.

E. If a school’s property has been lost or willfully cut, defaced, or otherwise damaged, the school may withhold the issuance of an official written grade report, diploma, or transcript of the student responsible for the damage or loss until the student or the student’s parent has paid for the damage.

1. notwithstanding, a school may not withhold any records required for student enrollment or placement in a subsequent K-12 school.

Fundraising Related to Student Fees

A. Any fundraising activity must be approved and conducted in accordance with district fundraising policy.

1. a school may not authorize, establish, or allow for required individual fundraising.
2. a school may allow optional individual fundraising opportunities for students to raise money to offset the cost of the student’s fees.
3. a school may allow for required group fundraisers which must provide benefit to all individuals on the group, team, or organization. Required group fundraisers must be part of the maximum fee amount.
4. voluntary group or individual fundraising that is not required is not considered a fee and is not part of a maximum fee.

B. A school shall not deny a student membership on a team or group, based on the student’s non-participation in a fundraiser.

C. Schools seeking to use alternative methods of raising revenue must comply with fundraising policy and state rule R277-113. 

Donations In-Lieu of Fees

A. A school may not request or accept a donation in-lieu of a fee from a student or parent unless the activity, class, or program for which the donation is solicited will otherwise be fully funded by the school or district and receipt of the donation will not affect participation by an individual student.

B. A donation is a fee if a student or parent is required to make the donation as a condition to the student’s participation in an activity, class, or program.

C. School-level actions to solicit or accept a donation or contribution must comply with all Board policies, must clearly state that donations and contributions by a student or parent are voluntary, and may not place any undue burden on a student or family.

D. Schools may raise money through the Cache Education Foundation to offset the cost to schools attributed to fee waivers granted to students.

E. Schools shall direct donations provided to offset school fee waivers through the Cache Education Foundation in accordance with foundation policies and procedures.

School Reporting Requirements

A. The District and schools shall comply with annual state reporting requirements.  

B. Each school shall maintain records and submit documentation to district staff annually as required by reporting requirements.

Training

The District shall provide for annual training of district and school employees on fee related policies enacted by the Board.  Said training shall be reasonably specific to each employee’s job function.

Penalties for Violation of School Fee Policy

A. Any administrator, teacher, advisor, or coach who knowingly violates the authorized fee schedule and financial policies, as approved by the Board, will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined by district policy.

B. Monies collected beyond the approved fee schedule will be refunded by the school back to the individual student(s) and/or parent(s). 

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