State education officials say thousands of students should not have been required to pay school fees when they registered for school last month.
State law provides that school fees be waived for students who are in state custody or in foster care, who receive aid for dependent children, who receive supplemental security income or who are eligible for free lunch.However, state education officials say most students who qualify for the fee waivers are not receiving them because they are not being properly informed by the school districts.
"There's a concern that parents and students are not getting enough information about the fee waivers for them to do what's necessary to receive them," said Scott Bean, deputy state school superintendent.
Districts are required to provide written notification of the fee-waiver policy and fee schedules to the parents of each child. A person at each school - usually the principal - is designated to administer the fee-waiver policy and to grant waivers.
State school officials blame the lack of notification on districts not wanting to lose much-needed funds. Districts are not reimbursed for fees that are waived. The state's claim is supported by the fact that the state's poorest districts are the ones granting the fewest fee waivers.
However, local school officials deny they are withholding fee and waiver information in order to keep funds. They give several reasons for the discrepancy in those eligible for waivers vs. those actually receiving them.
Gary Keetch, Alpine's assistant superintendent of secondary schools, said many high school students work and choose to pay the fees themselves. Also, many parents choose not to go through the process of applying for the waivers.
"Some parents feel very uncomfortable meeting with the principal over such a sensitive subject," Keetch said.
Principals are instructed to properly notify parents about the fees and the waiver policy several weeks before school starts. However, some principals do a better job of notifying parents than others, local school officials said.
Because of the discrepancy in Alpine School District, Keetch said district officials are reviewing the policy to determine if there is a better way to inform parents.
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(Additional information)
Fee exceptions
Number of secondary students who were granted fee waivers or received free school lunch during 1990-91.
District Waivers Free lunch
Granite 2,470 2,463
Jordan 1,125 1,979
Davis 1,405 1,725
Salt Lake 1,772 2,622
Murray 87 204
Alpine 469 1,954
Nebo 195 1,142
Provo 533 1,179
Source: State Office of Education