Registration fees in Dist. 38 slated to rise on August 17

Big Hollow residents looking to take advantage of lower school registration fees should sign up right now, school officials warn.

Registration fees will increase at Big Hollow School District 38 to $175 for students in kindergarten and to $200 for each student in first through eighth grades.

The changes will go into effect on Aug. 17. People interested in paying the current $150 rate should pay prior to then.

"We have been charging registration fees that have not been covering the cost of classroom materials," said Jan Carsella, vice president of the school board. "Because of the financial pinch we are in at this point, we are looking for ways to hold down costs and bring in additional revenue."

Carsella said the fee has been in the ballpark of surrounding districts, but that the district is looking at a $3 million deficit in 2007-08.

The district has been forced to borrow about $5 million over the past three years to offset deficit budgets.

In 2005, the district borrowed $1.2 million to make ends meet. They borrowed $1.8 million in 2006 and $2.4 million in 2007 for the same purpose. She said that number would rise to $3 million if the district doesn't do something to turn things around.

"We are willing to subsidize the cost of classroom materials for another year," she said. "But, we cannot guarantee the fees will stay the same if we do not past a referendum."

The idea to raise fees came from the Big Hollow Citizens Action Committee, who asked if fees could be raised to $300 to help offset rising costs of education.

Carsella said the district reviewed increasing fees to $300 per student, but thought it was too significant a hike for families with multiple children.

"People who told us it was just too much," she said. "To raise fees that much, then ask residents to pass a referendum, it's too much to bear. This was the best compromise."

With increased fees and other cuts, the district will shave about $750,000 off next year's budget.

The district already has imposed educational cuts in the coming school year.

The district voted to eliminate art and music class for all students, eliminate computer classes for kindergarten and students grades sixth through eighth, and eliminated funding for all extra-curricular activities.

The district intended to make deeper educational cuts, but faced resistance from parents. The board agreed to make the minor cuts, but only if parents agreed to pass a referendum on the ballot in February.

The district blames higher enrollment over the past 10 years for their spending problems.

The district's enrollment has increased by 1,000 students since 2000. Expectations are that student enrollment will max out at 2,100 in the next five years. It currently sits at 1,400.