Libertyville District 70 to Increase Fees to Cover Technology

Student textbook and technology fees for the 2018-2019 school year in Libertyville Elementary District 70 will increase next year to help pay for updated infrastructure, new software, and technology devices.

Fees for the upcoming school year, including textbook rental fees, technology fees, and supply costs, will be $125 for students in kindergarten through fifth-grade, while sixth- and seventh-graders will pay $225, and eighth-graders pay $125.

The major boost in middle school comes to help pay for a one-on-one Chromebook distribution that was piloted this school year for sixth-graders. The program is working well and will be continued next year for incoming sixth-graders. Students moving from seventh grade to eighth grade this fall will not have Chromebooks and will not see as large as an increase in school fees. The feeder high school also has a Chromebook program and District 70 did not want to burden those families with two Chromebooks, as students will keep the D70 devices.

The fees were unanimously approved by the Board of Education during a Monday night, Jan. 22, meeting.

Fees also increased slightly last year, to $90 for kindergartners, $95 for grades first through fifth, and $110 for sixth- through eighth-graders. Before this year, fees had not been increased for seven consecutive years while costs for expanding technology with new software and mobile devices, as well as the cost of new textbooks, has increased every year.

"We've worked hard to keep costs low as we consider the bottom line for our stakeholders," Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher told the board. "Now we need to increase the fees just to try to keep up. Technology changes, we need to update the infrastructure, buy new devices so that our students can take their assessments online. Without charging for extracurricular activities, including athletic participation, our fees are still inline when compared to neighboring school districts."

Unlike neighboring school districts, District 70 does not charge families additional "pay to play" fees for technology, one-to-one devices, or charge band, orchestra or chorus fees, or sports and intramural fees.