Education for 50p

A lovely e-mail hit my inbox today confirming new school fees for this year. Let me just note that when education budgets get slashed, rather than cut costs, they now foist the burden onto parents. We have textbook fees, bus fees, tech fees, athletics fees, and absurd school supply lists that include paper towels, tissues, ziploc bags, dry erase markers and more. I even had a fellow parent tell me their required supplies list included "large bag of skittles" for each student.

Are our schools now being run by RyanAir?

There's no such feckin' thing as an education for 50p. 

Budget cuts result in textbook/material/supply fee for students
As a result of a $25.5 million budget shortfall for 2011-2012, the Adams 12 Five Star School District has instituted a Textbook/Material/Supply Fee that will be assessed to all students. 
The determination to assess a fee came after a comprehensive effort to collect feedback from our community last spring with regard to the budget reductions and challenges we faced as a district. After numerous surveys, and conversations with our community and staff, the board of education approved the fee assessment of $30 for all high school students and $45 for elementary and middle school students. 
State law, C.R.S. 22-32-109(1), -110(o), -117(2)(6), allows for such a fee. It states school districts can charge fees for textbooks and supplies. In addition, Colorado law requires the district to exempt this fee for students who receive free or reduced lunch benefits pursuant to C.R.S. 22-32-109(1)(u). 
This fee is non-refundable. Payment can be made at individual school sites for all school and district fees. Cash, check or credit cards are accepted, and if necessary, individuals may set up a payment plan with the school to avoid financial hardship.
If you would like to learn more about the budget cut process that took place last spring, please visit www.adams12.org/budget_cuts/plan. 
Thank you for your continued support of the students and staff of Adams 12 Five Star Schools.