School Fees

A:   Basic fees assessed to every student:

• The Activity Trip Transportation fee covers bus costs for field and activity trips for students districtwide, regardless of if your child's class takes a trip.
• The Instructional Resources Fee covers textbook usage, technology (internet access, online materials, etc.), and instructional materials (magazines, workbooks, art supplies, consumable items, etc.).
• The Device Fee covers repair costs for technology devices.

A:   Basic fees are pro-rated on a quarterly basis.  If your student attends one day of the quarter, fees are due for the quarter. Special fees and course fees are not pro-rated.

A:   Basic fees for students who attend less than a full day will be pro-rated according to current policy set by the school board. Special fees and course fees are billed at 100%.

 

         % of Enrollment            Assessed Fees - %

             0.0% - 10.0%                     0.0%

            10.1% - 33.0%                    33.0%

            33.1% - 67.0%                   67.0%

            67.1% - 100.0%                100.0% 

A:   If you qualify for free or reduced-priced school meals, you may be eligible to have certain fees waived. Fees eligible for waivers are basic fees, co-curricular fees, participation fees, course fees, instrument maintenance/rental, activity ticket, and cap and gown fees.

 

In order for fees to be waived, the Approved Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Application must be on file in the Nutrition and Wellness Department and the Consent for Disclosure form must be on file in the Business Office. The Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Application and Consent for Disclosure Form are found here.

A:   School offices and our district office accept checks, cash, cashier's checks, and money orders.  See the information below regarding insufficient fund checks. Payments may be made online via eFunds. The eFunds program accepts electronic check and credit card payments. If writing a check, please make the check payable to USD#497.

A:  Fees for inactive or graduated students may be made by mailing a check to the USD #497 Business Office, 110 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044 or by calling the Business Office at 785-832-5000.  Do not make payment for these fees at your student's prior school.

A:   Payment will be accepted once fees have been added to your student's account. USD 497 does not accept payments made prior to fees being assessed. The only exceptions are for yearbooks, activity tickets, and parking permits. You will receive a monthly statement if you have a balance due on an account. You may also check your balance using the Parent Portal in PowerSchool. If your account carries a credit balance, you will receive a refund check.

A:   Yes.  Payments may be made in installments at your discretion. Our district does not have established payment plan dates, but requires your bill to be paid in full by the date listed on your statement. Not all fees are eligible for the payment plan. Contact your school office for more information.

A:   Fees that remain unpaid after the due date will be sent to collections. Silo Recovery is our district's collection agency.

A:   USD 497 uses RECHECK, Inc., a check recovery company, for all insufficient fund checks. If a check is returned due to insufficient funds, payment MUST be made to RECHECK, Inc. and NOT to the student's school or the Business Office. By law, RECHECK, Inc. is able to electronically debit the check writer's account for the amount of the check and a $30.00 processing fee.

A:   The eFunds program enables you to pay fees online at your convenience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to pay online, you will need to create a user account and add your student(s) to your account. Once your account has been created, you may make a payment. When you select New Payments or Pre-Authorized Payments, you will be directed to a screen that shows all fees with a balance on your student's account. You may make a partial payment by adjusting the dollar amount listed next to the fees. To pay a specific fee, click on "add" beside the fee. The fees you have selected for payment will be displayed at the bottom of the payment screen. Please note that eFunds will not be available for a short period during the summer to accommodate year-end processing.

A:   Yes, there is a convenience fee charged by eFunds. Currently, the fee is $1.00 for each electronic check payment and $2.85 for each credit card payment. Note that eFunds, a third party vendor, sets this fee and it is subject to change.

A:   You may find the student ID on the student fee statement or by contacting your school office.