With a surplus in the bank and a shrinking student population, Forest Park Elementary School District 91’s board voted Aug. 8 to make it easier for parents by waiving most fees they ordinarily would have paid this year.
Parents registering their children last week noticed they were not charged registration fees of $35 for grades K-4 and $45 for grades 6-8.
Pre-school and summer school fees will still apply, the district said.
All field trip fees have also been waived, Superintendent Lou Cavallo told the board.
Most significantly, parent fees for the fifth-grade weekend outdoor education program at Covenant Harbor have been waived this year.
“Covenant Harbor was the biggest fee we were charging, about $65, and some parents were finding it difficult to come up with that, especially at the beginning of the school year,” said Cavallo.
Students in 5th grade travel to Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, Wisc., for three days of outdoor fun in September. They get a chance to try archery, hiking, fishing, arts and crafts, as well as rope- and wall-climbing and zip lining.
“This is an opportunity many of our students will never have otherwise,” Cavallo said. “We are reducing the burden for parents.”
Next year the district may suggest to the board that the schools provide school supplies for students, Cavallo said.
