School District to charge tuition for some
students
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October 8, 2013 |
Due to a recent change in state law, Boundary
County School District 101 trustees tonight
voted unanimously, with one member citing
conflict of interest, to impose tuition fees on
students from outside the state who reside in
licensed public and private residential
facilities who attend county public schools.
Under an amendment to Idaho Code Section
33-1002B, a part of law defining the state
student funding formula, the state will no
longer pay school districts for school age
children residing in such facilities, often
local homes whose owners are licensed to provide
care and counseling to troubled youth from
around the world.
Matt Fitzgerald, president of Northwoods of
Idaho, an all boys boarding school for troubled
teens with campuses in Bonners Ferry, Sagle and
Costa Rica, addressed the board, noting that the
timing of the amendment was awkward, coming just
after the start of the school year, leaving no
time to prepare, adjust rates, or even seek
legal guidance into just what the amendment.
He didn't ask to be exempt, but for time to
adjust.
Board vice chair David Brinkman, owner of
Brinkman House, licensed to provide in-residence
care for such children, stepped down from board
discussion and said he has been following the
development of the amendment, and was advised in
June by state education officials that passage
was at least a year away.
Lynda Fioravanti, who is organizing a community
meeting in Bonners Ferry October 19 on
controversial Common Core standards, questioned
whether the amendment met the requirements of
Article IX of the Idaho Constitution, which
establishes that "the stability of a republican
form of government depending mainly upon the
intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty
of the legislature of Idaho, to establish and
maintain a general, uniform and thorough system
of public, free common schools."
"I think this is a poorly written law badly
timed," said trustee Mike Weland. He then
advised that among the questions those affected
might consider asking their attorneys was if a
class action lawsuit might be warranted to
overturn the law.
IC33-1002B5 does allow that "the local school
district may provide education services to such
students if requested by the licensed public or
private residential facilities," many of which
incorporate the opportunity to attend public
school and be a positive part of the local
community as a goal for their charges to aspire
to.
For them, it's a goal, a sign of growth and
maturity ... a privilege earned.
The law requires the district to enter into a
contract with such facilities defining services
and costs for each student, but concludes, "such
students shall be excluded from all average
daily attendance and other reports provided to
the state that would result in the distribution
of state funding to the local district."
"Another way to cut the state education budget,"
one trustee said.
"I don't think we have a choice but to impose
tuition on these businesses," Weland said,
noting that the state funding formula encouraged
keeping students at their desks, "but I think
it's wrong to throw it on them now, after the
school year has already started. They need time
no adjust their rates and notify the parents to
see which of these students will stay in their
homes and our schools and which will have to
find alternatives."
One thing the State Department of Education did
provide was a handy chart by school district
giving the state's calculation of the cost of
educating a student in each, per month and the
amount the state pays.
By that chart, educating an elementary school
student in Boundary County per month costs
$680.50. The State of Idaho and the federal
government provides $453.98.
That leaves a balance of $226.52, a "net monthly
tuition."
That's the amount a local school district has to
raise locally, primarily through property taxes,
to provide one student a proper education per
month. The cost for each secondary student is
even higher.
After discussion, Weland made the motion "to
defer tuition costs of non-resident students
until the beginning of the next semester (in
January), and then at the state per capita rate;
$453.98 per elementary student and $563.23 per
secondary student."
All felt compelled to vote "aye."
"If the class action suit is successful, we can
always repeal," Weland said. |
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