Students may be required to pay for college textbooks

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

In the future, Mt. Pleasant High School students taking online or college courses may be required to pay for their own textbooks.

Dr. John Roederer, interim superintendent, said over the years, there has been discussion about whether schools are responsible for picking up textbook fees of students that take online or concurrent enrolled classes. ?It was a gray area,? he said. ?What we?ve done over the years is we decided that we would pick up that cost, because it was ambiguous (in State Code).?

According to district documents, this year alone, the district has spent $153,651.67 for student tuition and $31,115.72 on textbooks.

High School Principal Todd Liechty said since the district pays for the books, they are collected at the end of the year and if they can be used again they are kept, otherwise they are sold online.

Now, however, the State has made it perfectly clear that schools may charge students for the use of textbooks for online or concurrent courses.

Roederer said the agenda item would not be voted on during the meeting, but referred to the policy committee for further review.

Whatever policy the school board adopts, however, the state mandates provisions for a waiver of the textbook fee must be included. The mandate includes a full waiver of textbook fees for a student if the student?s family meets the financial eligibility criteria. This includes being offered free meals under the Child Nutrition Program, participation in the Family Investment Program or if the student receives transportation assistance under open enrollment provided. A student in foster care is automatically qualified to receive a full waiver regardless of the financial health of the student or the student?s family, according to the policy.

A student will receive a partial waiver if the student or the student?s family qualifies for reduced price meals under the Child Nutrition Program. Also, a partial waiver will be based on a sliding scale related to an ability to pay.

Students may also be granted a temporary waiver at the discretion of the district in the event of a temporary financial difficulty in the student?s immediate family. A temporary waiver may be applied for and granted at any time during a school year. The maximum length of a temporary waiver would be one year.

Also during the meeting, the board discussed summer school for elementary aged students, specifically for second- and first-graders who have been identified as substantially deficient on the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST).

The board had previously approved the pilot summer session, as it would gear students and staff up for the mandatory summer school program in 2017. Yet, Roederer received word from the State that the mandatory summer school program would not be required until summer 2018. Despite the requirement being moved back a year, the board felt they had enough Title I funds for this summer and next, and decided to keep the pilot program on track.

In other business, the board heard a presentation on secondary math literacy and received an update on Central Office relocation. Roederer said he received a nine-month extension from the city. However, the district will be responsible for paying three months of taxes for the rental property. The district was to be out of their current office in the top floor of the Mt. Pleasant Public Library by July 1.

Roederer added he has had discussions regarding another property. He stated he would like to have Board President David McCoid and another board member present for future discussions.

The next meeting of the Mt. Pleasant School Board will be held at 6 p.m., on Monday, May 9, 2016, at the high school media center.