District 70 Technology Fees Increase

LIBERTYVILLE, IL – Student textbook and technology fees for the 2018-2019 school year in Libertyville Elementary District 70 will increase to help pay for updated infrastructure, new software, and technology devices, school officials said. Fees for the upcoming school year, including textbook rental fees, technology fees, and supply costs, will be $125 for students in kindergarten through fifth-grade, while sixth- and seventh-graders will pay $225, and eighth-graders pay $125.

The fees were unanimously approved by the Board of Education during a Monday meeting. The major increase for middle school fees is meant to help pay for a one-on-one Chromebook distribution that was piloted this school year for sixth-graders, according to a news release from District 70. School officials reported the program is working well and will be continued next year for incoming sixth-graders.

Students moving from seventh grade to eighth grade this fall will not have Chromebooks and will not see as large a an increase in school fees.

"The feeder high school also has a Chromebook program and District 70 did not want to burden those families with two Chromebooks, as students will keep the D70 devices," according to the news release.

Fees also increased slightly last year, to $90 for kindergarten students, $95 for grades first through fifth grade students, and $110 for sixth- through eighth-graders. Before this year, fees had not been increased for seven consecutive years while costs for expanding technology with new software and mobile devices, as well as the cost of new textbooks, has increased every year.

“We’ve worked hard to keep costs low as we consider the bottom line for our stakeholders,” Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher told the board. “Now we need to increase the fees just to try to keep up. Technology changes, we need to update the infrastructure, buy new devices so that our students can take their assessments online. Without charging for extracurricular activities, including athletic participation, our fees are still inline when compared to neighboring school districts.”

School officials also said that unlike neighboring school districts, District 70 does not charge families additional “pay to play” fees for technology, one-to-one devices, or charge band, orchestra or chorus fees, or sports and intramural fees.

Photo Caption: Libertyville Board of Education talks about increasing school fees next year to cover technology costs with one-to-one devices, updating infrastructure and new textbooks/Photo credit: District 70