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Out-of-district tuition raised 600 percent

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By Katheran Wasson
June 2, 2009

 

Franklin County Board of Education members hope to generate more revenue from out-of-district students next year by raising the cost of their tuition $1,900, an increase of more than 600 percent.

Since 2000, students who attend school in Franklin County but live elsewhere have paid $300 a year in tuition. In the fall, that cost will jump to $2,200.

This year, 21 students attend Franklin County Public Schools out of district. Superintendent Harrie Buecker said she can’t be sure how many will enroll next year.

If the number stays steady, the district could earn approximately $40,000 more. Board members unanimously approved the change Monday. 

District officials anticipate losing more state funding for extended school services, textbooks, school safety and preschools next year. Buecker said they have “ruled everything else out” as possible revenue sources, including raising lunch prices.

“We’re looking wherever we can to find the revenue to shore up some of the areas where we have the greatest need,” she said.   

Buecker said the increase will bring Franklin County in line with nearby school systems. Out-of-district students in Frankfort Independent Schools pay $1,700; Bourbon County, $2,000; Jessamine County, $2,322; Woodford County, $3,100; and Fayette County, $4,000.

Students whose parents work for FCPS do not pay tuition. 

Board members also accepted personnel actions Monday, which included 25 pink slips for teachers and certified employees, and 15 for classified staff members.

Wayne Dominick, communications coordinator for FCPS, said some of the cuts came from revised staffing allocations approved by the board in March, which eliminated 6.7 certified teaching positions and 2.8 custodial positions. 

The move will save the district $300,000 in personnel costs, Buecker said in March.

The staffing allocations – reduced because some schools were overstaffed based on enrollments that were expected to rise, but didn’t – went to school councils for action.

Some of the pink slips were also based on performance, Dominick said.

Employees could be brought back as revenue becomes clearer, he said, most likely to teaching aide positions. 

In Kentucky, public school employees must be notified by May 1 if their contracts aren’t being renewed.

 




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11.
    Posted by Tamed-Shrew June 2, 2009
"So when these 21 students go elsewhere ....where are they going to get the 40,000.00 from? "

I wondered that, too, Recon. Did these kids already enroll for next year, so the money is promised; or is this an assumption?

Also, what happens if these kids graduate next year? This seems like a one-time gain, rather than steady income.

10.
    Posted by FrankfortPanthers June 2, 2009
Judas Lucarelli, as you call her, had ALL her decisions okayed by the "genius" Frankfort Board members. You are barking up the wrong tree with your comment. Not to mention the Board also approved EVERY financial expenditure and voted with a majority to close campus for lunch. If you want to blame someone, blame the idiots on the school board.

9.
    Posted by less-is-more June 2, 2009
The Independent School District under the leadership of Judas Lucarelli (the betrayer)raised tuition 266% and saw a huge decline in "tuition students" over the following few years. In addition to running off some very good students with her ill-advised tuition policy, she also put the district in such a hole financially that they had to combine middle schoolers with the high schoolers - not good. And FHS had to dispense with a long-held tradition of allowing kids to be free at lunch. How are those lunch-room reciepts, Judas?

8.
    Posted by John Gilbert June 2, 2009
It's interesting that the cost is about half of Christian school. If I were the parent, and homeschooling wasn't an option, I'd dig a little deeper and send the child to TFCA or CAL.

For my family and my children, homeschooling along with our CACH association is the most well rounded, well intentioned learning environment. Our children are not only given the tools necessary to live life to their fullest potential, they are taught Who to live for, Jesus Christ.

I only wish that my tax dollars that are spent on the government indoctrination system (i.e. public school system) were returned to me so that I could spend my money on my own children's education instead of my tax dollars being spent teaching your children how to put condoms on cucumbers.

7.
    Posted by Beatle Juice June 2, 2009
When the city school raise their tuition they lost several kids. I would bet the same will happen at Fchs.

6.
    Posted by Iknow June 2, 2009
Very seldom are tuition kids not good kids. Bad move in my opinion. I would hope they would grandfather this in so students already enrolled could stay under the previous agreement.

5.
    Posted by ljagriffin1 June 2, 2009
I thought the education system was based on what was best for the student, not an option that the board could use to generate money. Its wrong to exploit what could be a senior year or finishing elementary or middle school with kids that have become part of big school family.
I see the administrative section didn't offer to take a pay cut to generate money.

4.
    Posted by trying June 2, 2009
Currently 21 students equal $6,300. Under the new rule they'd need about three students and they'd be above that amount.

I agree, they'll probably not retain all 21.

3.
    Posted by melli June 2, 2009
They might go to Frankfort Independent as the cheaper alternative or in their home county plus extended daycare. Whatever is cheaper for the parents to handle. That's usually the reason why they are here, because the parents work in the county. Tripling would have probably worked, but this will not keep too many of them in the system except for those who have been expelled out of their own system.

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