Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — If you're a parent with kids in school, how's your checkbook looking these days?
It's been an expensive few weeks for many parents as students head back to class. Some parents ask, why are school fees so high? And is it like this everywhere? The answer is no.
Kristi Wihongi, the mother of four students, paid the textbook fee along with the yearbook fee and the activity fee.
"I don't even know what an activity fee is," she said.
Going down the class list from her Lone Peak High student, about every class -- even Spanish -- costs a fee. Add in a "convenience fee" and she'll pay $237 for one of her children.
"I'm paying them all at once," she said. "They're all on the same credit card. If it's a hard time during the year, or if there are hardships, you start to resent it a little."
Family budgets and school budgets are equally tight.
Carole Lear with the Utah State Office of Education said, "It is just the way we subsidize public education in Utah. Other states do not charge fees at this level."
#poll
Legal experts for the State Office of Education acknowledge even though districts follow procedures, fees impact families.
"I think most of that money is well spent. It is spent on necessities," Lear said.
Utah code requires local school boards to approve all fees, and districts must update fee schedules annually. Every school board has complete autonomy to set the fees at what they deem necessary.
"How that takes place could have 41 variations. We have 41 school districts," Lear explained.
School districts say fees keep up with the rising costs of materials, technology and other things.
"We are always concerned about the bottom line, not only for our schools but for our families," said Ben Horsley, director of communications at the Granite School District.
All districts clearly state that fees may be waived according to state regulations.
"We try to make that as discrete as possible," he said. "It is easy to obtain a form for a fee waiver off the school website."
Most family budgets do take a significant hit this time of year, but they shouldn't face any surprise fees later in the year.
"Once you've charged your fees or told your parents what the fees will be for the course or the class or the activity, you can't keep nickel and diming them," Learn said.
