Cherry Hill eyes charging student fees
As many New Jersey school districts grapple with budget problems, Cherry Hill has opened the doors to charging a general fee for middle school and high school students.
As many New Jersey school districts grapple with budget problems, Cherry Hill has opened the doors to charging a general fee for middle school and high school students.
Tuesday night, the school board supported the idea at the initial public reading. Final approval can't come until the fourth Tuesday in July, after a second public reading, said district spokeswoman Susan Bastnagel.
Although the impetus was to help to pay for after-school activities, the fee would be charged to all students who can afford it.
"It's not a like a pay to play thing," Bastnagel said.
The cost would be $90 for a high school student, $55 for a middle schooler, which means grades 6 through 8, she said.
No family would pay more than $200, and families eligible for free or reduced-price lunches would be exempt.
"It doesn't affect elementary school students," she said.
Estimates Tuesday night put the amount raised by the fee about about $500,000, she said.
The Cherry Hill School District has about 11,600 students, about 1,000 of them in middle school, about 4,000 in high school.
