Public Elementary and Secondary Student Fee Authorization This draft SSL is based on a Nebraska law that was created to clarify the authority and requirements of school districts to fulfill a state constitutional mandate to provide for the free instruction in the common schools of that state of all persons between the ages of five and twenty-one years. This Act authorizes school districts and educational service units to require fees or specialized equipment or attire for the following purposes: • Extracurricular activities; • Admission fees and transportation charges for participants and spectators of extracurricular activities outside of the regular school day if attendance does not count toward graduation or grade advancement; • Postsecondary education costs; • Transportation pursuant to current sections authorizing transportation charges; • Reproduction costs for student files or records pursuant to existing provisions; • Reimbursement for school district property lost or damaged by the student; • Before-and-after-school or prekindergarten services pursuant to existing provisions; • Summer school, and • Breakfast and lunch programs. Extracurricular activities means student activities or organizations which are generally conducted outside of the regular school day, which do not count toward graduation or grade advancement, and in which participation is not otherwise required. Postsecondary education costs mean tuition, transportation, books, and other fees associated with postsecondary education except in the case of courses where students receive both high school and postsecondary education credits or if the course is being taken as part of an accelerated or differentiated curriculum program, the course shall be offered without charge for tuition, transportation, books, or other fees, but postsecondary education costs may include tuition and other fees associated with obtaining credit from the postsecondary education institution. Regular school day means the hours of the school day that the school district counts toward the minimum school term requirements. Students could be required to furnish personal or consumable items, such as pencils, paper, pens, erasers, and notebooks. The Act does not preclude the operation of a school store for the purchase of food, soft drinks, and such personal or consumable items. Students may also be required to furnish and wear clothing meeting general written guidelines for specified courses and activities during both the regular school day and outside of the regular school day if the written guidelines are reasonably related to the course or activity. Submitted as: Nebraska: LB 1172 Status: enacted into law in 2002. Suggested Legislation (Title, enacting clause, etc.) 1 2 3 4
Section 1. [Short Title.] This Act may be cited as “The Public Elementary and Secondary Student Fee Authorization Act.” Section 2. [Definitions.] As used in this Act:
The Council of State Governments
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