School Fees

School Fee Payment Information

Please contact the administrative assistant at your child's school or the Business Office with any questions about payment of school fees. You may also email your questions to myfees@usd497.org. Please include your question, your name, your student's name, the school they are attending, a phone number where you may be reached, and the best time to contact you. The Business Office will respond as quickly as possible.

For guidance about how to read the PowerSchool fee statement, please select the correct option on the right side of this page.

Fee Payment & Forms

2026-2027 Fee Waiver (Consent for Disclosure) English
2026-2027 Fee Waiver (Consent for Disclosure) Spanish - Coming Soon!
2026-2027 Student Fees - Coming Soon!
2026-2027 Schedule of Enrollment Fees - Coming Soon!
2026-2027 HS Courses & Additional Fees - Coming Soon!
2026-2027 Participation & Co-Curricular Fees - Coming Soon!
2026-2027 Lost & Damaged Property Fees - Coming Soon!
How to Read the PowerSchool Statements, English
How to Read the PowerSchool Statements, Spanish

Email Us About Student Fees at MyFees@usd497.org

Contact Us:

Pam Wiggins

Coordinator, Accounts Receivable

pwiggins@usd497.org

785-832-5000 X 4948

Pam Fraley

Assistant Director Accounting

pfraley@usd497.org

785-832-5000 X 1615

Cynde Frick

Executive Director, Finance

Board of Education Treasurer

cynde.frick@usd497.org

785-832-5000 X 2376

FAQs

Q: Does Lawrence Public Schools charge fees?

Q: What do the fees cover?

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.

Additional/Special Fees, assessed as required:

Participation Fees (per sport/activity)
Co-Curricular Fees (band, orchestra, select choirs, debate, forensics, and theater at the middle and high schools)
Instrument maintenance/rental fee (if applicable)
Parking permits
Uniforms
Membership in student organizations
Additional supplies for co-curricular activities
Lost USD 497 property (library books, textbooks, uniforms, iPads, laptops, charging accessories, etc.)
Yearbooks (if purchased)
Activity Tickets (required for students in KSHSAA sponsored sports and co-curricular activities, and available for students who request an activity ticket at the high schools). More information about Activity Tickets may be found here.

Course Fees, select courses only:

Course fees (additional materials for the classroom not covered by basic fees)
Fees for course projects, if applicable

2024-2025 fees approved by the Board of Education are listed here:

Student Fee Summary, Participation & Co-Curricular Fees, Course & Additional Fees- Coming Soon!

Q: If my student attends only part of the year, do I pay fees for the full year?

Q: How are fees assessed for students who attend school for less than a full day?

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%

Q: Can my fees be waived?

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, cap and gown fees, summer strength and conditioning and Novice Music. All other fees are not waivable.

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 as well as the Fee Waiver(Consent for Disclosure Form) can be found here.

Q: How do I pay my fees?

Q: My student has graduated or is inactive. How do I pay for their fees?

Q: When do I pay for fees?

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 can also check your student's account balance in eFunds if you have set-up an account.

Q: May I make payments for fees?

Q: What if my fees are not paid by the due date?

Q: What if my check is returned due to insufficient funds?

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.

Q: How does the eFunds program work?

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, 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.

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