Student Fees Reduced $40 for D122
Administrators originally recommended a $50 decrease in October, but Supt. Mike Sass said some budgetary issues that have come up since then led him to recommend lowering that figure slightly.
District 122 will reduce registration fees by $40 per student for the coming academic year.
Administrators originally recommended a $50 decrease in October, but Supt. Mike Sass said some budgetary issues that have come up since then led him to recommend lowering that figure slightly.
"Since that time there’s been some things that haven’t been so healthy for us as a district with state funding," Sass said.
Members Deb Kedzior and Kathy Miller were concerned with reducing fees because of the perception of commitment it could cause. Kedzior recommended the board commit to one year of reducing fees $20, but the district never planned to extend the reductions beyond one year.
"I don’t want to open the door to something that this is an expectation," Miller said.
Right now, parents pay between $275 and $285 per student. The $40 per-student reduction will result in about $180,000 of lost revenue for the district. But administrators assured the board they felt comfortable taking that hit.
"I have confidence in administration that they will figure it out without reducing any aides or staff," board member Sue Smith said.
Smith first proposed reducing fees by $50 per student, but that failed in a 4-3 vote, with Kedzior and Miller voting against it along with Nick DiSandro and Sue Gillooley.
"I understand the board wants to do $50," DiSandro said. "But I’m trying to listen to the district as well with their nervousness."
Administrators again assured the board that a $40 reduction would work within the budget, so another vote was taken and that amount passed unanimously. Member Pat Martino said he thinks a larger reduction could have been made.
"We can’t just sit here and say we’re living in our means, because the impression in the community is we’re not," he said. "They need to live within their means, too. The only expectations people care about now are today’s. We need to help people now."
NLMom
12:50 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2012
The fees in this district are beyond ridiculous. $40 is a drop in the bucket. Maybe the administrators in this district should take note of other districts in this country who do not charge any registration fees. They should see how they make it work. We have friends who live in a very well to do area in another state and they are charged nothing to enroll their kids and they have excellent test scores too. If Sass and the board think $40 is something to get excited about then I have some swamp land in Florida I'd like to sell them. People should not feel the need to sell their houses and move from this district, they should expect more from these highly paid people.
Mark P
6:55 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Public Schools used to be covered by property taxes. Property Taxes are at an all-time high, yet we still have to pay hundreds of more dollars to the schools. Illinois and New Lenox spend a high percentage to the states pension fund. Pension reform needs to be looked at.
mommaof3
10:57 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I cannot believe that $40 is the reduction!!!!! Really? I just paid almost $300 for a 4th grader!!!! It's almost like why even bother ya know?
Brian
1:20 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
The New Lenox school board has lost touch with reality. The only way to get the fees down is for the parents to NOT pay the registration. We need to act together and stand up agaist these outrageous fees. In fact, there is nothing they can do to prevent you from attending school and advancing. They will attempt to make it difficult in obtaining your class assignments and books, but by law they must educate our children. They are bullying the taxpayers and have no legal ground to stand on. Do not accept the measly $40 reduction, it's a slap in the face. Sass and the current board have to go, and we as taxpayers need to make it happen.
iam99%
6:01 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
Seriously people?? Just goes to show that some people will complain about everything. A reduction is a reduction plain and simple. If you don't want to pay fees move to a district that's cheaper. Telling people to not pay will not solve any problems. When you short the school district- the only ones hurt are the kids.