Student Fees and Meal Costs

Fines, Fees, and Charges; Waiver of Student Fees

The school establishes fees and charges to fund certain school activities. Students will not be denied the opportunity to participate in curricular and extracurricular programs of the school district due to the inability of their parent or guardian to pay fees or certain charges. Students whose parent or guardian is unable to afford student fees may receive a fee waiver. A fee waiver applies to all fees related to school, instruction, and extracurricular activities.

Applications for fee waivers may be obtained from the school office and may be submitted by a parent or guardian of a student who has been assessed a fee. As student is eligible for a fee waiver if at least one of the following prerequisites is met:

1. The student currently lives in a household that meets the same income guidelines, with the same limits based on household size, that are used for the federal free meals programs;
2. The student’s parent is a veteran or active-duty military personnel with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line;
3. The student is homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

The district office will give additional consideration where one or more of the following factors are present:

• An illness in the family;
• Unusual expenses such as fire, flood, storm damage, etc.;
• Unemployment;
• Emergency situations; or
• When one or more of the parents/guardians are involved in a work stoppage.

Within 30 days, the district will notify the parent/guardian promptly as to whether the fee waiver request has been granted or denied. Questions regarding the fee waiver application process or an appeal of the District’s decision to deny a fee waiver should be addressed to the district office. Pursuant to the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act, the school is required to provide a federally reimbursable meal or snack to a student who requests one, regardless of whether the student has the ability to pay for the meal or snack or owes money for earlier meals or snacks. Students may not be provided with an alternative meal or snack and the school is prohibited from publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay for or owes money for a meal or snack.

Fines for damage to school property are reviewed and potentially assessed on a case-by-case basis.

School Breakfast & Lunch Program

A reasonably priced breakfast and lunch are available at all six schools. Meals are prepared and packaged at our central kitchen at Gemini Middle School and delivered daily to the other schools. Each meal meets the nutritional guidelines of the National School Lunch Program, and menus provide a variety of meat and non-meat choices. A monthly menu is available to parents and students on our District website.

Parents can pay for their child's meals by depositing funds in the student's "wallet" account in PushCoin. Families may set up an account in PushCoin to add funds to a student’s meal card for future purchases. They can also review past purchases made by the student. Parents may be eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. In order to qualify, parents can fill out a Free or Reduced-Price Meal form, available on the Food Service section of our website. The application is also available at the Educational Service Center at 10150 Dee Road, Des Plaines.

Student Accident Insurance

District 63 provides a Student Accident insurance program that covers your child for injuries incurred while participating in school-sponsored and supervised activities, including all sports. This insurance is secondary to any other health insurance you may have, and if you have other health insurance, claims must first be submitted to that insurance company. It is important that your child immediately reports to the teacher, nurse, or office staff all accidents that occur during the school day or going to and from school. With regard to reporting a claim, parents can call the Plan Administrator:

Neil H. Zevitz, RHU
312.346.7460 (Chicago)
847.374.0888 (Suburban Office)

Student Accident Insurance

Once a claim has been filed, a parent can check on the claim status by calling the Plan Administrator.

Because accidents also occur away from school, Neil H. Zevitz, RHU offers the following voluntary plans to all students at minimal cost:

• 24-hour coverage – Around-the-clock accident coverage for your child anywhere in the world
• Protection during vacations, weekends, and school days, as well as all travel
• 24-Hour Dental Accident Insurance.

Parents can enroll online at www.k12specialmarkets.com/.Brochures and applications for these plans are available from the plan administrator. These plans provide secondary coverage and will pay benefits after your primary health insurance has concluded participation in the claim. If you have any questions, please call the Plan Administrator.

Vandalism
The school district will seek restitution from students and their parents/guardians for vandalism or other students’ acts that cause damage to school property.