2017-18 School Year
Information on Bill 1
Bill 1, An Act to Reduce School Fees has been proclaimed, reducing the burden of school fees on Alberta families.
By amending the School Act and introducing two regulations—the School Fees and Costs Regulation and the School Transportation Regulation —specific school fees will be eliminated, starting in the 2017-2018 school year. In addition, the Board has updated Policy 2, Section 6, to reflect the requirements of Bill 1. Two Administrative Procedures (AP), AP502 - Instructional Fees, Refunds, and Waivers and AP521 - Administration of School Generated Funds, along with the Principles for the Basis of Allocations to Schools deal, with school fees more specifically.
What Fees are Being Eliminated?
For the 2017-2018 school year, the following fees are being eliminated:
- textbook fees;
- workbook fees;
- printing and photocopying fees;
- paper fees;
- fees not included in an approved school fee schedule
Approved School Fee Schedules for 2017-2018
Fees listed on the Approved School Fee Schedules, as linked below, are MAXIMUMS per student and may be charged at the start of the school year or intermittently during the year. The total charged for the entire year for any listed fee must not exceed the MAXIMUM amount noted on the schedule. If a fee is not listed on the schedule, it cannot be charged in the current school year.
Schedules were approved by the Board of Trustees at the Regular Meeting held on June 26, 2017 and also approved by the Minister of Education on July 18, 2017. Approved fees will be posted on SchoolCash as they become relevant for payment. Parents can expect the Start-Up Fees to be available sometime during the month of September 2017 and other fees will added throughout the year, as the activity or option course is about to commence.
Note: Schools may have the same fees with different amounts posted. Situations vary from school to school; some fees may be subsidized in one school and not in another.
Transportation
Fees for transportation of the following eligible students will be eliminated:
- those residing 2.4 km or more (based on District Routing Software) from their designated school (as determined by attendance boundaries or as directed by Administration);
- those who qualify and are approved for special needs transportation, regardless of distance to their designated school;
- additional fees for noon-hour transportation for children attending an Early Childhood Services program.
Questions about Bill 1?
Visit the Government of Alberta website to learn more.