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student-fees-donations-and-fundraising-guidelines
The Constitution of the State of California requires that we provide a public education to students free ofcharge. A student's right to a free education is for all school/educational activities, whether curricular or extracurricular, and whether a student gets a grade for the activity or class. Subject to certain exceptions, astudent's right to a free public education means that we cannot require you oryour students to purchase materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms for anyschool activity, nor can we require you or your student to pay securitydeposits for access, participation, materials, or equipment. We mayrequire students to attend a fundraising event; however, if they are unable to raise funds for the event, we cannot prevent students from participating in an educational activity
The following are exceptions to the prohibition on fees, charges and deposits at the Kindergarten through grade 12 LEVEL. They are permissible because they are specifically permitted by law:
- Charges for optional attendance as a spectator at a school or District sponsored activity.
- Charges for food served to students, subject to free and reduced price meal program eligibility and otherrestrictions specified in law.
- Paying the replacement costfor District books or supplies loaned to a student that the student fails toreturn, or that is willfully cut, defaced or otherwise injured, up to an amountnot to exceed $10,000.
- Fees for field trips andexcursions in connection with courses of instruction or school related social,educational, cultural, athletic, or school band activities, as long as no student is prevented from making the field trip or excursion because of lack of sufficient funds.
- Medical or hospital insurance for field trips that is made available by the school district.
- Charges for required medical and accident insurance for athletic team members, so long as there is a waiver for financial hardship.
- Charges for standardized physical education attire of a particular color and design, but the school may not mandate that the attire be purchased from the school and no physical education grade of a student may be impacted based on the failure to wear standardized apparel "arising from circumstances beyond the control" of the student.
- Charging for the parking ofvehicles on school grounds.
- Charges for the rental orlease of personal property needed for District purposes, such as caps and gownsfor graduation ceremonies.
- Fees for school campprograms, so long as no student is denied the opportunity to participatebecause of nonpayment of the fee.
- Reimbursement for the directcost of materials provided to a student for property the student has fabricatedfrom such materials for his/her own possession and use, such as wood shop, art,or sewing projects kept by the student.
- Reimbursement for the actualcost of duplicating public records, student records, or a prospectus of theschool curriculum.
- Fees for transportation toand from school, and transportation between school and regional occupationalcenters, programs or classes, as long as the fee does not exceed the statewideaverage nonsubsidized cost per student and provided there is a waiver provisionbased on financial need.
- Fees for transportation ofpupils to places of summer employment.
- Tuition fees charged topupils whose parents are actual and legal residents of an adjacent foreigncountry or an adjacent state.
- Tuition fees collected fromforeign students attending a District school pursuant to an F-1 visa, equal tothe full unsubsidized per capita cost of providing education during the periodof attendance.
- Fees for an optional fingerprinting program for kindergarten or other newly enrolled students, ifthe fee does not exceed the actual costs associated with the program.
- Fees for community classes incivic, vocational, literacy, health, homemaking, and technical and generaleducation, not to exceed the cost of maintaining the community classes.
- Deposits for bandinstruments, music, uniforms and other regalia which school band members takeon excursions to foreign countries.
- Charges for eye safetydevices, at a price not to exceed the district's actual costs, in specified courses or activities in which students are engaged in, or are observing, anactivity or the use of hazardous substances likely to cause injury to the eyes.