The Wabash Community Unit School District #348 Board of Education has approved student fees for the upcoming school year, including modest increases for school meals and student parking permits.
Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said breakfast and lunch prices are adjusted to comply with state and federal requirements.
Bleyer explained the district does not set meal prices arbitrarily. Instead, Illinois and federal guidelines require districts to maintain minimum price levels. He said District #348 has traditionally remained near the minimum allowed, resulting in periodic increases of about 10 cents to keep pace with the required formula.
Bleyer said failing to meet the required pricing could result in federal penalties that would force the district to subsidize the meal program with local taxpayer dollars.
The board also approved a $5 increase in the annual student parking permit, raising the cost from $15 to $20.
Bleyer said the fee had remained unchanged throughout his tenure as superintendent despite rising costs to maintain and repaint student parking lots. He noted that a reserved parking space for the entire school year is still a good value at $20.
Junior/Senior High School Principal Amy Duckworth told the board the campus has enough parking for students, with only about 20 spaces typically remaining open by the end of the school year. She said the senior parking lot near the main gym fills first, followed by other paved lots, while the gravel lot is generally the least popular.
Bleyer also noted the district will continue not charging registration fees and the driver's education fee remains unchanged at $75 for students.
He reminded families that students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals are encouraged to complete the required application, adding that the process is handled confidentially.
**Story has been updated to reflect there is still a Driver’s Ed fee of $75.**