BonnerSprings.com / Fees cause frustration with district parents

Archive for Thursday, August 14, 2008

Bridget Addie, right, listens to Ellen Kalousek, left, a Clark Middle School staff member, explain how much money she must pay to enroll her daughter, Kelsey Addie, middle, as an eighth-grader at the school. Book rental fees for Clark are $75, with additional costs for gym shirts and lock.

By Nicole Kelley

August 14, 2008

A group of parents in Bonner Springs-Edwardsville USD 204 is upset with the fees the district charges students to attend school.

The district requires a book rental fee at each of it schools, which Tricia Mantooth said she thinks is unfair.

"There are quite a few upset parents about what's going on," said Mantooth, who has five children in the district. "It's so expensive. I'm looking at $1,000-plus after school supplies are bought."

The book-rental fee at Bonner Springs High School, where four of Mantooth's children will be attending this year, is $75. In addition, there are fees tacked on for elective courses.

"I want to know what my money is going towards," she said. "We're taxpayers and we have to pay all these school fees."

When Mantooth approached the school district about her concerns, she was told to fill out a form to see if she qualified for free and reduced lunches. Fees are waived for the families who do qualify, but Mantooth isn't one of them.

She next was told that the district would put her on a payment plan to pay off the fees over the school year, but that if she refused to pay, the district would pass her issue over to a collection agency.

"I don't think (Superintendent Bob Van Maren) understands where a middle-class family with multiple kids is coming from," Mantooth said. "I just feel like he's in his own mind frame and not looking at the best interest for the family."

Van Maren said it's this group of parents who don't understand where the district is coming from. With gasoline and food costs continually rising and the school board's desire to not raise property taxes this year, Van Maren said the district has tried to be supportive when it comes to families' income.

"I agree with them," Van Maren said of the parents' complaints over book fees. "I've been very upset that the state of Kansas is not adequately funding education. But we still need to run the school, and until Kansas starts giving us more, we have to charge these fees."

Van Maren said the district tries to work with families on an individual basis, should a concern over the fees arise. The first step he tells every parent is to see if they qualify for free and reduced lunches. He said he also encourages parents to include a letter with their application explaining any circumstances that may make the payment of fees this year harder than usual.

Last year the district waived book-rental fees for two families who presented special circumstances, but in most cases, the district will set up a payment plan that will help parents pay the fees over a 10-month period or shorter. If the fees aren't paid, Van Maren said all the district can do is continue to provide the student with an education and turn the parents over to a collection agency.

In addition to the collection agency, Van Maren said the parent could be turned in to the state of Kansas, and the fees will be added to that person's property taxes, forcing them to pay one way or another, he said.

He said he thinks the school district was doing what it could to ease the burden of the book rental fees. Next year, he plans to ask teachers to cut back on their supply list, saving parents at least a little in the enrolling process.

The district also has been handling the purchase of gym shirts and locks for students' lockers. In the past, families had to go out, find and purchase these items on their own. Van Maren said now the district has bought them in bulk and can offer them to families at a cheaper rate.

"For some of us, it's harder times them usual. But talking with the governor or legislators, that's the way to change it," Van Maren said of the fees.

Another parent, Jason Conner, said his concern is not how much the fees are, but why families have to pay them in the first place. Conner has three children in the district and was asked to pay $110 for his students at Clark Middle School, including fees for elective activities, and then $55 in a book-rental fee for his first-grader and kindergartner at Edwardsville Elementary.

"I've got a kindergartner and they don't even have books that come home," Conner said.

"At Clark, they told me they don't have enough textbooks for every kid to take one home. Why am I paying fees if the kid doesn't even have a book?"

So far, Conner has refused to pay the fee at Edwardsville Elementary and would have refused to pay the fee at Clark if he, instead of his wife, had enrolled his student. Conner said he was not concerned with being turned over to a collection agency, but was concerned the district would even consider spending money on an agency when its budget is so tight.

Conner grew up in Missouri, where individual families were not charged that expense. But, he said, the district should be looking for a way to get around the fact that Kansas doesn't provide the same benefit.

Conner said his frustration comes from the fact that he feels like he's already paid his dues to the district, through a portion of his property taxes. Instead of fees, Conner said he would be in favor of a discussion regarding increasing the mill levy rate.

"My concern is that if you need the cash to cover (books) then it's OK to increase the mill levy," he said. "Then at least a portion of the money comes back to me in income tax (deductions). Book rental fees aren't tax deductible."

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USD 204 Enrollment Fees:

¢ Elementary schools = $55 book rental

¢ Secondary schools = $75 book rental; $4 agenda; and $8 class dues

A selection of elective class fees at Bonner Springs High School:

¢ Foreign language = $10

¢ Art classes = $20-$25

¢ Band = $10

¢ PE/Health = $12

¢ Newspaper/Yearbook = $15

¢ Accounting = $11

¢ Foods, Nutrition, Wellness = $20

¢ Wood Tech = $15

¢ Metal works = $25

¢ Web site design = $10

¢ Keyboarding = $5

Discussion

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14 August 2008
at 9:18 a.m.

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travelinman (Anonymous) says…

Is this the same district that has enough money to refurbish their own offices ? That has enough money to buy a new press box and put down a rubberized track. It is my opinion that Van Maren needs to get his priorities straight. Or perhaps it's time to let someone else take over.
This district was once a place where people wanted to bring their children. It is quickly becoming a reason to sell your property in Bonner/ Edwardsville and move to a different city.
14 August 2008
at 10:39 a.m.

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bonnerdonner (Anonymous) says…

Bad test scores also and then high taxes. But man we sure have a nice football field! Low teacher pay on top of all that.
14 August 2008
at 2:47 p.m.

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Coaliesquirrel (Anonymous) says…

A portion of the cost of schools, by means of property tax, is borne by society at large. Universal education provides the general benefits of an educated, productive society, qualified workers, etc. It is, therefore, reasonable to ask society to pay part of the cost.

The other portion of the cost is appropriately borne by those most directly benefitting the children being educated, by means of fees paid by their parents. The individual families with children reap the greatest personal benefits of their children's educations including both basic classes and electives carrying additional fees. In this way, both society as a whole AND the individual student and his/her parents have a stake in quality education.

It is not reasonable to expect everyone to pay the full cost of schools that many don't use (have children in). As stated in the article, the school district offers waivers of these fees based on financial need or extraordinary circumstances. However, parents with the ability to pay their part are expected to do so.

Parents need to get their priorities straight. If you can spend thousands of dollars on a play set for your back yard, or hundreds on video game systems, you can very well afford to pay $100 or so for your child's education. Quit whining and live up to the responsibilities you assumed when you decided to have a child (or several children).
14 August 2008
at 5:31 p.m.

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bonnerdonner (Anonymous) says…

No. We pay enough in taxes that it should not cost this much to put kids in school. Stop the grand building and educate the kids. Every thing looks good but underneath stinks.
14 August 2008
at 7:33 p.m.

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travelinman (Anonymous) says…

The focus of the leadership is on the exterior. It's all about what looks good.

“Parents need to get their priorities straight. If you can spend thousands of dollars on a play set for your back yard, or hundreds on video game systems, you can very well afford to pay $100 or so for your child's education. Quit whining and live up to the responsibilities you assumed when you decided to have a child (or several children).”

I guess this means that we should also ALL be able to donate to the endless fund raisers that go on every year.
16 August 2008
at 2:49 p.m.

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JasonConner (Anonymous) says…

Dear Coaliesquirrel, I agree that educational costs are to be borne by the populace. I believe that the nearly $2000 that the school district receives from me annually should satisfy my family's requirement. I was approached by the paper. I didn't go searching for an interview. The interesting thing about our wonderful nation is that we have the right to question what our government, or in this case the school district, does. I disagree with you when you say that I am “whining.” I choose to not behave as a lemming, blindly following or agreeing to everything that is mandated.
Your questioning of my parental responsibilities could possibly be tolerated if you had posted your name, including credentials in child care, child development, child enrichment, etc.. Hiding behind the internet's veil of anonymity stinks of cowardice.
I invite you to come and play on my children's playset. Please bring your children too. My children, I assure you, will be gracious hostesses and share what they have. Perhaps, we can sit and share a cold one as we discuss alternatives to enrollment fees. Maybe we can work together to coordinate a grassroots effort to encourage our state legislators to increase funding to our school district. The possibilities for cooperation are endless.
Sincerely, Jason Conner
18 August 2008
at 3:49 p.m.

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LocalMom (Anonymous) says…

I have been a parent in the district since my son was in Kindergarten (he's now in the 4th). I am also a product of this school district and mighty proud to say so. Wearing that badge, I can honestly say that fees have been a part of the Bonner School system since 1990 when I started attending Junior High. This years fees are nothing new - and it's nothing new since the “over priced” turf was put in.

I am also an education major. I know that it costs more than $2,000 for the State of Kansas (and the City of Bonner/Edwardsville) to educate one child. To say that the populace should pay for education and then say that your $2,000 is enough to support your children is bogus.

Is it right that we have to spend over $100 per child on school supplies and then another $55 and up to send them to school? No … absolutely not … but to gripe and complain over the little amount that we're asked to provide is showing just how uneducated the general population is over the state of our education system today. I am not calling anyone uneducated simply uneducated about this topic.

If you have complaints that your students do not have enough textbooks take it up with the School Board. If you have complaints that our school district forked out unnecessary funding on sports “materials” take it up with the School Board.

But if you have complaints about the fees for registering your children into public schools, my advice to everyone who comes on here to belly ache … start doing some research. Take an introduction to teaching class. Make your voices known to the higher beings (your State and US reps) because it's only going to get worse before it gets better to educate our children to a standard that is befitting of them … not our pocket books!

And Mr. Connor - I think it is time that we started a grassroot movement to reach out to our legislature. Let me know if you get this started and I'll gladly put my real name to it!
18 August 2008
at 5:43 p.m.

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batesjj498 (Anonymous) says…

Since when has a school district had the authority to levy taxes? Isn't that the function of the county, state and federal goverments? School districts can ask for a school bond vote to increase property taxes but cannot force individuals to pay fees for a public education. And since we did not elect school board members with the understanding that they have such authority, it is tyranny. Furthermore, if such authority existed, they would collect these taxes in the same manner that legitimate authorities do…by seizing property and imprisonment. In turning to a collection agency, it is a confession of this conclusion. A collection agency can only legally collect from one party when both parties made a financial contract. No such contract was made. If the school district says that a contract was made at enrollment, are they going to deny a child an education because his/her parents see the double taxation and violation of rights? Any attorney's reading this? Sign me up for the class action lawuit please.
18 August 2008
at 6:50 p.m.

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batesjj498 (Anonymous) says…

Localmom, congratulations on your education major. I'm not sure how that has anything to do with the position that the victims here have stated, but maybe juris prudence would do you better service. Also, is there a statute of limitations on tyranny? So as long as Bin Laden has been committing crimes since say, oh, 1990, it's OK?

Coaliesquirrel, you make a good point. Maybe the next time I spend my money on something, lets say athletic gear, one of life's necessities, and I need a $1000, maybe I can go over to Jason's house and take it (by the way, that's sarcasm). As I explained previously, the district has no more authority to do this than do I. Both of us would be equally immoral and unlawful.

And for all of you suggesting that we are being petty, and being that you care so much about the children, why don't you volunteer to pay these fees? It's a win/win/win situation. I don't have to care about the tyranny, the district gets the money it wants, and you feel better about doing such a great thing for a child.
19 August 2008
at 9:37 a.m.

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bonnerdonner (Anonymous) says…

I just realize that for the price of the fee's you can come close to the price of home schooling. That is probably the best way out side of a good private school to educate you children.
21 August 2008
at 3:52 p.m.

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p2bamerican (Anonymous) says…

I have to write and say that I do not mind paying the fees. As long as everyone has to pay them. I understand financial hardship, but also believe in working myself out of it. It is okay to make payments, but it is not okay to always expect America to bail you out. And actually if more people just paid for themselves maybe the cost of living would go down. If we were not always paying for ourselves and for a portion of what other people did not pay. I was told that if you were from hispanic background you automatically got approved for free lunches and textbooks. I do not know of the validity of this, however if it is true…then America we need to wake up. I guarantee that we can not go down to Mexico and live off of their government and they shouldn't be using our hard earned tax dollars to come here and live. I am all for America and people coming here to become americans, but not to mooch off of us…at the cost of our children's future. That is what we should be taking up with our government.
26 August 2008
at 1:43 p.m.

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outraged (Anonymous) says…

This is a bunch of crap. the people saying you should pay for the fees, have money, i have 3 children and my oldest is a senior in high school she is graduating this coming may and im so thankful but its a struggle already to get your kids through school as it is. i have to come up with money to pay for her past dues and believe me we struggle and we dont have the high equipment in our backyard, if we dont come up with it before she supposed to graduate then she dont get her cap and gown, so my daughter has to suffer because we are far behind on school dues, we will pay for it but you people that sit around in your nice houses and food on your table, and can go to the store anytime you want to dont even have a clue of the people that cant!