Student Fees and Donations
Dear Travis Ranch Parents:
The California Constitution requires that public education be provided to students free of charge unless a charge is specifically authorized by law for a particular program or activity. Therefore, the Placentia Yorba Linda School District may not charge fees for school programs and extracurricular activities except for those programs or activities where a fee is specifically authorized by law.
The law does allow school districts to request voluntary donations and engage in fundraising
activities and programs. These donations and fundraising financial contributions are voluntary,
and all students will be allowed to participate in school activities and extracurricular activities
regardless of whether the parent or legal guardian makes a donation or contribution.
The fees, charges, and deposits that are legally authorized by law are as follows:
- Charges for optional attendance as a spectator at a school or District sponsored activity.
- Charges for food served to students, subject to free and reduced-price meal program
- eligibility and other restrictions specified in law.
- Paying the replacement cost for District books or supplies loaned to a student that the
- student fails to return, or that is willfully cut, defaced, or otherwise injured up to an amount
- not to exceed $10,000.
- Fees for field trips and excursions in connection with courses of instruction or school
- related social, educational, cultural, athletic, or school band activities, as long as no
- student is prevented from making the field trip or excursion because of lack of sufficient
- funds.
- Medical or hospital insurance for field trips that is made available by the school district.
- Charges for required medical and accident insurance for athletic team members, so long
- as there is a waiver for financial hardship.
- Charges for standardized physical education attire of a particular color and design, but
- the school may not mandate that the attire be purchased from the school and no physical
- education grade of a student may be impacted based on the failure to wear standardized
- apparel “arising from circumstances beyond the control” of the student.
- Charges for the parking of vehicles on school grounds.
- Charges for the rental or lease of personal property needed for District purposes, such as
- caps and gowns for graduation ceremonies.
- Fees for school camp programs, so long as no student is denied the opportunity to
- participate because of nonpayment of the fee.
- Reimbursement for the direct cost of materials provided to a student for property the
- student has fabricated from such materials for his/her own possession and use, such as
- wood shop, art, or sewing projects kept by the student.
- Reimbursement for the actual cost of duplicating public records, student records, or a
- prospectus of the school curriculum.
- Fees for transportation to and from school, and transportation between school and
- regional occupational centers, programs or classes, as long as the fee does not exceed
- the statewide average non-subsidized cost per student and provided there is a waiver
- provision based on financial need.
- Fees for transportation of pupils to places of summer employment.
- Tuition fees charged to pupils whose parents are actual and legal residents of an
- adjacent foreign country or an adjacent state.
- Tuition fees collected from foreign students attending a District school pursuant to an F-1
- visa, equal to the full unsubsidized per capita cost of providing education during the
- period of attendance.
- Fees for an optional fingerprinting program for kindergarten or other newly enrolled
- students, if the fee does not exceed the actual costs associated with the program.
- Fees for community classes in civic, vocational, literacy, health, homemaking, and
- technical and general education, not to exceed the cost of maintaining the community
- classes.
- Deposits for band instruments, music, uniforms and other regalia which school band
- members take on excursions to foreign countries.
- Charges for eye safety devices, at a price not to exceed the district's actual costs, in
- specified courses or activities in which students are engaged in, or are observing, an
- activity or the use of hazardous substances likely to cause injury to the eyes.
Pursuant to Education Code section 35330, a school district may charge a fee for a field trip.
However, no student may be prevented from making the field trip because of the lack of sufficient
funds. Therefore, each of our schools will coordinate efforts by community service groups to
supply funds for pupils in need.
Pursuant to Education Code section 35335, a school district may charge a fee for school camp
programs or outdoor science programs provided that the payment is not mandatory and no
student is denied the opportunity to participate in the outdoor science program because of
nonpayment of the fee. Each school will engage in fundraising activities and request donations
and coordinate the efforts of community service groups to ensure that all students will have the
funds available to participate in school camp programs and outdoor science programs.
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
1 35 Cal.3d 899, 911, n.14 (1984).
2 Education Code sections 38082 and 38084.
3 Education Code section 48904.
4 Education Code section 35330.
5 Education Code section 35331.
6 Education Code section 32221.
7 Education Code section 49066(c)
8 Vehicle Code section 2113.
9 Education Code section 38119.
10 Education Code section 35335.
11 Education Code section 17551.
12 Government Code section 6253; Education Code
section 49091.14.
13 Education Code section 39807.5.
14 Education Code section 39837.
15 Education Code section 48050-52.
16 8 U.S.C. Section 1184 (m)(1).
17 Education Code section 32390.
18 Education Code sections 51810 and 51815.
19 Education Code section 38120.
20 Education Code section 32033.