MONROE - Parents, school is less than three weeks away and that means it's time to open up the wallet.
More than a few parents will gasp a little when they receive the final tally for sending their kids back to public school in Monroe. In addition to academic fees, there are sports and activity fees, milk and lunch costs and mountains of school supplies to pay for.
It starts with basic school fees. Depending on the grade and district, this can include an assembly fee, classroom dues, workbooks, book rental and physical education fees. In Monroe, those student fees come to $20 for pre-kindergarten, $41 for elementary students; $60 for middle school; $33 for grades 9 and 10; and $31 for grades 11 and 12. Some electives, such as Foods or Clothing also have additional fees. (Families who qualify for free and reduced lunches can request school fees be reduced or waived. Contact the district for more information.)
Be prepared to dig deeper if your child is involved in athletics or other activities.
It costs $25 per sport to participate in athletics at the middle school level; nonathletic activities (such as forensics) cost $10. Those figures jump to $60 per sport and $25 per nonathletic activity in high school, although there's a $75 maximum per student per year for nonathletic activities. Renting a musical instrument is an additional $40.
In addition to the school's fee to play a sport, students can expect other costs for their athletic endeavors. Boys on the soccer team, for example, need two pairs of special soccer socks and warm-up pants and jackets. Then there's also T-shirts and sweatshirts they can choose to buy, and even a submarine sandwich after each road game.
It costs $3 per person, from elementary school students to seniors, to watch any athletic event. However, students have the option of purchasing an athletic pass for $30 for the academic year.
Then there's all the "extras" that have become commonplace: A package of school photographs can set you back more than $11 for one 5- by 7-inch and a handful of wallet-size photos. And don't forget the yearbook - that's another $55 for high schoolers.
If your high-school students drive to school, it will cost $25 for a high school parking pass.
And don't forget lunch: Hot lunch costs kindergarten through second-graders $1.60, third- through fifth-graders $1.75; middle schoolers $2 and high schoolers $2.25. Milk is 30 cents for elementary children and 35 cents for older students.
Then there's school supplies.
Each grade level at each school varies, but here's a list of what parents of a second-grader at Northside Elementary School in Monroe are expected to provide, along with the price. Many retailers offer deep discounts on basic school supplies during August. The sale price is noted in parentheses where applicable.
• One box of 24 crayons, $1.05 (20 cents)
• Two 4 oz. bottles of Elmer's glue, 50 cents (20 cents)
• 12 No. 2 yellow pencils, 97 cents for 24 (50 cents)
• Two large erasers, 97 cents
• Fiskar's pointed scissors, $1.92 (99 cents)
• Five folders, 15 cents each (10 cents)
• School box, 97 cents for medium size
• Box of facial tissue, $1.97
• Four dry-erase markers, $3.76
• Highlighter, 92 cents for three
• Coins (20 pennies, 5 nickels, 10 dimes and 4 quarters in a plastic baggie), $1.95
Total using sale items when possible: $12.53, not including the piece of felt and box of crackers that are also required
Things get a little more complicated, and pricey, as the students go up in grades. A Monroe sixth grader, for example, is required to have a compass and protractor (available as a set for $1.88); three 1-inch binders, which start at 97 cents each and go up; blue, red and black pens, available in packs of 10 for 98 cents or 50 cents on sale; a pencil bag, costing $3.88 for a High School Musical motif; plus other items including fine line markers, colored pencils and a particular calculator specified by the school.
More than a few parents will gasp a little when they receive the final tally for sending their kids back to public school in Monroe. In addition to academic fees, there are sports and activity fees, milk and lunch costs and mountains of school supplies to pay for.
It starts with basic school fees. Depending on the grade and district, this can include an assembly fee, classroom dues, workbooks, book rental and physical education fees. In Monroe, those student fees come to $20 for pre-kindergarten, $41 for elementary students; $60 for middle school; $33 for grades 9 and 10; and $31 for grades 11 and 12. Some electives, such as Foods or Clothing also have additional fees. (Families who qualify for free and reduced lunches can request school fees be reduced or waived. Contact the district for more information.)
Be prepared to dig deeper if your child is involved in athletics or other activities.
It costs $25 per sport to participate in athletics at the middle school level; nonathletic activities (such as forensics) cost $10. Those figures jump to $60 per sport and $25 per nonathletic activity in high school, although there's a $75 maximum per student per year for nonathletic activities. Renting a musical instrument is an additional $40.
In addition to the school's fee to play a sport, students can expect other costs for their athletic endeavors. Boys on the soccer team, for example, need two pairs of special soccer socks and warm-up pants and jackets. Then there's also T-shirts and sweatshirts they can choose to buy, and even a submarine sandwich after each road game.
It costs $3 per person, from elementary school students to seniors, to watch any athletic event. However, students have the option of purchasing an athletic pass for $30 for the academic year.
Then there's all the "extras" that have become commonplace: A package of school photographs can set you back more than $11 for one 5- by 7-inch and a handful of wallet-size photos. And don't forget the yearbook - that's another $55 for high schoolers.
If your high-school students drive to school, it will cost $25 for a high school parking pass.
And don't forget lunch: Hot lunch costs kindergarten through second-graders $1.60, third- through fifth-graders $1.75; middle schoolers $2 and high schoolers $2.25. Milk is 30 cents for elementary children and 35 cents for older students.
Then there's school supplies.
Each grade level at each school varies, but here's a list of what parents of a second-grader at Northside Elementary School in Monroe are expected to provide, along with the price. Many retailers offer deep discounts on basic school supplies during August. The sale price is noted in parentheses where applicable.
• One box of 24 crayons, $1.05 (20 cents)
• Two 4 oz. bottles of Elmer's glue, 50 cents (20 cents)
• 12 No. 2 yellow pencils, 97 cents for 24 (50 cents)
• Two large erasers, 97 cents
• Fiskar's pointed scissors, $1.92 (99 cents)
• Five folders, 15 cents each (10 cents)
• School box, 97 cents for medium size
• Box of facial tissue, $1.97
• Four dry-erase markers, $3.76
• Highlighter, 92 cents for three
• Coins (20 pennies, 5 nickels, 10 dimes and 4 quarters in a plastic baggie), $1.95
Total using sale items when possible: $12.53, not including the piece of felt and box of crackers that are also required
Things get a little more complicated, and pricey, as the students go up in grades. A Monroe sixth grader, for example, is required to have a compass and protractor (available as a set for $1.88); three 1-inch binders, which start at 97 cents each and go up; blue, red and black pens, available in packs of 10 for 98 cents or 50 cents on sale; a pencil bag, costing $3.88 for a High School Musical motif; plus other items including fine line markers, colored pencils and a particular calculator specified by the school.