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Oswego School District 308 facing more than $5 million in unpaid student fees · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Aswego School District three hundred and eight facing more than
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  Speaker 1: five million dollars in unpaid student fees. Written by Eric Shelkoff,
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  Speaker 1: This article is being read by an automated voice brought
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  Speaker 1: to you by Everlet Aswego School disc three hundred and
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  Speaker 1: eight officials say that more than five million dollars in
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  Speaker 1: unpaid student fees is contributing to the district's financial crisis.
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  Speaker 1: Over the past five years, more than five point one
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  Speaker 1: million dollars in fees has not been collected, district officials
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  Speaker 1: said in a post on its website and Facebook page.
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  Speaker 1: As of this school year, one point six million dollars
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  Speaker 1: in assessed fees remains uncollected. Last year, one point five
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  Speaker 1: million dollars went unpaid. Schools are prohibited from withholding students grades, transcripts,
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  Speaker 1: or diplomas because of an unpaid balance on the student's
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  Speaker 1: school account. According to district officials, the district offers a
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  Speaker 1: program for families that cannot afford the student fees. Applications
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  Speaker 1: for free or reduced fee status are available, and families
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  Speaker 1: who qualify receive relief. The district said that process exists
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  Speaker 1: precisely because the district recognizes that financial hardship is real
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  Speaker 1: and no students should be locked out of their education
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  Speaker 1: because of it. But the one point six million dollars
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  Speaker 1: currently owed in unpaid fees this school year does not
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  Speaker 1: come from families who applied for hardship assistance, according to
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  Speaker 1: district officials, it represents families who have simply chosen not
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  Speaker 1: to pay, officials said. According to the district, District three
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  Speaker 1: hundred and eight charges fees to help offset the direct
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  Speaker 1: costs of student participation in academic courses, extracurricular activities, athletics
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  Speaker 1: and technology. Course fees, activity fees, sports fees, technology fees,
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  Speaker 1: and registration fees each represent a share of the cost
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  Speaker 1: of running a district of this size and scope. Officials said.
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  Speaker 1: The district covers about sixty eight square miles, with students
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  Speaker 1: not only in Oswego, but also Aurora, Joliet, Montgomery, Plainfield,
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  Speaker 1: and Yorkville. In March, the district announced that it will
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  Speaker 1: have to make across the board staffing cuts because it
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  Speaker 1: is losing eight million dollars in state funding. The reason
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  Speaker 1: for the decrease in funding is because the district has
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  Speaker 1: been moved from Tier one to Tier two in the
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  Speaker 1: state's evidence based funding system. Under the system, the funds
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  Speaker 1: flow first to the school districts that need them the most,
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  Speaker 1: while the district absorbs cuts in state funding, battles rising
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  Speaker 1: transportation and special education costs, and makes difficult decisions about
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  Speaker 1: staffing and programs. A significant portion of the community has
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  Speaker 1: not paid for services their children are actively receiving, district
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  Speaker 1: officials said,