Bellingham Public Schools will provide an educational program for students as free of costs as possible.
The superintendent may approve fees for supplementary supplies, materials or services for which a charge is made to the student so long as the fee is established at a level to defray actual costs, students are free to purchase them elsewhere or provide reasonable alternatives and a proper accounting is made of all moneys received by staff for supplies and materials.
The board delegates authority to the superintendent to establish appropriate fees and procedures governing the collection of fees and to make an annual report to the board regarding fee schedules at the time of budget adoption. Arrangements shall be made for the waiver or reduction of fees for students whose families, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty paying the full fee. For programs governed by the National School Lunch Act, the USDA Child Nutrition Program guidelines will be used to determine qualification for waiver. The superintendent or designee will establish a procedure for annually notifying parents of the availability of fee waivers and reductions.
A student shall be responsible for the cost of replacing materials or property which are lost or damaged due to negligence. A student鈥檚 diploma may be withheld until restitution is made by payment or the equivalency through community work. The student or their parent/guardian may appeal the imposition of a charge for damages to the superintendent or designee.
The student and their parent/guardian will be notified regarding the nature of the violation or damage, how restitution may be made, and how an appeal may be instituted. When the damages or fines do not exceed $100, the student or parent/guardian will have the right to an informal conference with the principal. As is the case for appealing a short-term suspension, the principals鈥 decision may be appealed to the superintendent or designee. When damages are in excess of $100, the appeal process for long term suspension will apply.
| Cross References: | Content |
|---|---|
Policy 2020 Course Design, Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials Policy 3115 Students Experiencing Homelessness-Enrollment Rights and Services Policy 3231 Student Records Policy 3241 Student Discipline |
| Legal References: | Content |
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42 U.S.C. 1143 et seq. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act RCW 28A.220.040 Fiscal Support-Reimbursement to school Districts-Enrollment Fees-Deposit RCW 28A.225.330 Enrolling students from other districts-requests for information and permanent records-Withheld transcripts-Immunity from liability- Notification to teachers and security personnel-Rules RCW 28A.320.230(f) Instructional Materials-Instructional materials committee RCW 28A.330.100 Additional powers of board RCW 28A.635.060 Defacing or injuring school property – Lability of pupil, parent or guardian-Withholding grades, diplomas or transcripts-Suspension and restitution-Voluntary work program as alternative-Rights protected AGO 1965-66, No. 113 Districts-Schools-Fees-Tuition-Supplies-Authority of school districts to charge tuition fees or textbook fees AGO 1973, No. 11 Districts-Schools-Tuition & Fees Authority of school districts to charge various fees |
| Management Resources: | Content |
|---|---|
Policy News, June 2021 Equity in School Policy News, July 2019 Hypermobility & Enrollment Policy News, May 2018 Student Nutrition Services Policy News, June 1999 School Safety Bills Impact Policy |