The Board of Trustees of Palliser Regional Schools approved an increase in school textbook rental fees for the first time in at least 16 years, at a special meeting to discuss the 2014-15 budget.
The textbook rental fee for every student Grades 7-9 will increase to $59 next year, up from $49. The fee for each student Grade 10-12 increases to $69 from $59. The Board will continue to waive collection of the $39 fee for students in Grades 1-6. The fee for elementary students is not collected from families, but an equivalent amount is provided to schools out of Palliser’s operating revenue. Those fees have been waived since the crisis in the livestock industry in 2003 devastated the southern Alberta economy.
The Board also increased the student technology fee to $35 from $25.
The Board held a special meeting to discuss budget matters, including a projected deficit of $1.575 million, which reflects a reduction of enrolment related to the loss of Glenmore Christian Academy, per student grants that are not increasing with inflation, and rising fuel costs, among other factors.
Glenmore Christian Academy, a faith-based school in southwest Calgary, will revert to private school status for the 2014-15 school year, reducing Palliser enrolment by about 640 students. The school had been part of Palliser since 2008-09.
For complete highlights of the special board meeting, please click here.