(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Two of Illinois' largest high school districts in the northwest suburbs are reinstating student fees for the first time since the pandemic, but they won't be as steep as before.
In District 211, the student fee was $170 pre-pandemic, but board member Peter Dambrowski said reinstating a fee that big would be unfair.
"I don't think it's in the best interest of our community or respectful to out taxpayers to continually raise fees," he said. "I don't see our district needing these funds. And I haven't seen any rationalization or justification for the need for these funds."
The board voted on a $75 dollar fee instead. Board President Anna Klimkowicz was the only one to support the initial proposal.
"I would really like to think that our community is able to see the value of what we offer, being able to plan within these last six months, to be able to save for the $170 to be able to pay for this," she said.
Klimkowicz also said the funds would cover the cost to keep staff hired with federal pandemic funds that are due to expire.
"I truly think we need to reinstate it again. I do not think the fee is going to cause the families a tremendous difficulty."
In District 214, board members proposed reducing the student fee from $420 to $350.
“I think $420 is a big sting when the neighboring districts are not that,” said board member Lenny Walker, the Daily Herald reports. “That’s a big number if you have more than one child coming in to District 214.”
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok