Legislative Audit Finds ‘Widespread’ Violations of State Law Regarding School Fees
Sep 18, 2018, 8:00 PM | Updated: 9:36 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A legislative audit released Tuesday found that both the state and local school boards had little oversight or enforcement of state laws when it comes to fees, related to both regular classes, and extracurricular activities. Auditors say they found “widespread and varied violations of state law,” when it comes to those fees.
Among the examples listed, one unnamed school charged about $2,500 in total fees per team member for cheerleading.
A Kaysville mother of 10, Nettie Francis says she’s glad that a discussion has begun that should prompt some future change in the system.
“Maybe the real question is, what do schools need to provide families, and what is too much,” Francis said. “There are intelligent people here. Good people who work hard and want the best for our children and want good education. And we certainly ought to be able to come up with a solution.”
The legislative audit found that since extracurricular activities are not required, there was little direction in terms of fee limits, and that some fees as a result could not be waived. Auditors say those practices would exclude some students because of the cost.
Some of the recommended changes include: better oversight by both the state and local school boards, mandatory annual training, and an adjustment to a state statute that would specify both individual and overall dollar limits.
The complete audit report can be found here.
MORE: Previous investigative report by KSL on the roughly $71 million spent on school fees.
