ENROLLED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 137
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to study the
prevalence and use of student fees in public elementary and secondary schools in
Louisiana and to submit a written report of findings and recommendations to the
House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later
than March 1, 2017.
WHEREAS, the Constitution of Louisiana recognizes the importance of public
education in affording every child an equal opportunity to develop to his full potential; and
WHEREAS, a quality public school education must be available free of charge in
order to provide an equal opportunity to every child regardless of the child's economic
status; and
WHEREAS, the practice of charging fees to public school students has the potential,
if overused or used inappropriately, to create economic barriers to equality of opportunity
in public education; and
WHEREAS, students may be assessed fees for various purposes including but not
limited to fees for academic materials and supplies, extracurricular activities such as band
and math club, and graduation; and
WHEREAS, many are concerned that there is currently no method of tracking and
regulating the assessment of fees to public school students.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to conduct a
thorough study of the prevalence and use of student fees in public elementary and secondary
schools in Louisiana and to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to
the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than
March 1, 2017.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study shall include but not be limited to the
following:
(1) A comprehensive survey of the stated purpose and amount of each fee assessed
to each student and his family in each public elementary and secondary school.
(2) Any trends in the prevalence and amount of such fees over time.
(3) The existence and use of fee waivers, including hardship and indigency waivers,
at each such public school and the manner in which the existence of such waivers is
communicated to students and parents.
(4) The total burden of such fees on families at each such public school.
(5) The relationship between the amount of such fees and the reasonable costs of a
quality public education.
(6) The manner in which the proceeds of such fees are actually used by the school
collecting the fees.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all public elementary and secondary schools,
school boards, and school administrators shall fully cooperate and shall provide such
information, documents, and assistance to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education as may be appropriate in the completion of the study as provided by this
Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
superintendent of education.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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