By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board in a split vote Monday decided to keep student fees the same for the upcoming school year.
School administrators proposed keeping all school fees the same compared to the current school year, including the $90 textbook.
Board member Allen Park made a motion to decrease the textbook fee from $90 to $70. Last year the board reduced that fee from $115 to $90.
He argued the textbook fund had a continuing surplus.
However, Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent, said the board was set to vote to spend $319,000 on a new math curriculum for elementary and middle school students in the next agenda item.
The district had been accumulating money in the textbook fund for several years. The administrators knew the district was facing a large textbook purchase this year.
In addition to student fees, surplus funds from the general fund have been transferred into the textbook fund in anticipation of the large purchase for the math curriculum and another purchase, which could be twice as large, for the English curriculum in two years.
About $160,000 per year is going into the textbook fund from the student textbook fee. That is down about $100,000 per year over the last four years as the board has voted to decrease the textbook fee.
Students who receive free lunches do not have to pay the textbook fee. Students who qualify for reduced-cost lunches pay half of the fee.
"$20 would not affect us all that much," Park said.
"At some point, we have to pay the piper," Superintendent Ron Wilson said. "Bills come due. ... We are in a good spot now. I would love to reduce, but we know what is coming down the road."
"It would be great, but would it be fiscally irresponsible down the road?" Ken Brooks, board vice president, said.
He suggested reducing the fee by $5 per student instead.
Wilson said textbooks are not going to get any cheaper.
Board President Craig Pallister said inflation is likely going to be high for the immediate future, and the increase in the cost of textbooks is outpacing inflation.
Board member Tammy Wellbrock said she would rather keep the rate flat so that a future board would not have to make the difficult decision to make a steep increase.
Park said a reduction would save families money, especially those with multiple children. He said the district is in a good place financially in part because of federal COVID relief funds.
"I think it is time we drop it back," he said.
The motion to decrease the fee failed with Park and board member Curt Vajnar voting for the reduction.
The board also voted to approve $319,000 for new math textbooks for elementary and middle school students. The new curriculum will be implemented in the fall.
The board also reviewed a proposed school calendar for the 2023-24 school year. Instead of the early release days, district administrators and teachers have negotiated six full-day in-service days.
The calendar is subject to final approval by the teachers and school board as part of the teachers' contract.