Unavoidable costs

MONTROSE  — Back-to-school expenses usually generate thoughts of new clothes, pencils and notebooks. However, parents are finding school fees during registration can also add up.

“It’s just something unavoidable,” said Montrose parent Jamie Cooper after she registered her eighth-grader at Columbine Middle School. She also has a fourth-grader and 10th-grader and had just written a check to the school for registration.

As students get older, parents realize school registration isn’t as easy as picking up the phone to let the school know their child is returning.

At Columbine, (as well as Centennial Middle School) teachers recommend students have a planner. The school sells them for $6. However, students also need physical education uniforms, another $20. If they want to participate in band, $10; jazz band is $15 and show choir, another $10.

Though Cooper added band expenses into the check she wrote, she said she’ll have to write another mid-year for her daughter’s band shirt.

“I have no idea where the money goes to,” she said.

Middle school sports also adds up for seventh- and eighth-graders. To participate in sports it’s $20. However, there is a $40 cap per student; $110 per family. For football players, there’s an additional $15 helmet reconditioning fee.

If students want to watch sports or get into after-school activities, it’s recommended they purchase an activity card for an additional $15.

Tracy Bennigsdorf, a Montrose parent of a fifth- and eighth-grader, along with a high schooler, said she spends about $200 on all her children. To help with expenses, she’s waiting to pay for her eighth-grade son’s sports. He’s thinking about playing basketball, so Bennigsdorf has time to pay off the fees.

Parents also have to pay for class supplies, such as home economics, shop and art. Sixth- and seventh-graders pay $30 for their exploratory classes, while eight-graders pay $40.

Columbine Principal Ben Stephenson said these costs should not deter parents from involving their students in extra activities.

“We as a school will help out in any way we can,” he said. “Costs should not be a factor when it comes to what kids can and cannot do — we’ll make arrangements.”

High school costs vary, as students have a larger variety of classes to choose from.

There is still the option of an activity card and year book. Students are required to pay for “consumable goods,” such as workbooks and art supplies, they use up throughout the year, said district spokeswoman Linda Gann.

And the checkbook doesn’t close after registration. Students need such supplies as paper, pencils, binders, scissors, glue, a ruler, calculator, eraser, highlighters, and more.

Montrose County School District Re-1J supplies a “supply list” for each grade at each school. Again, more expensive items are usually for upper levels. However, the list for a second grader is quite lengthy.

When Dave Perfors went shopping with his wife, Laura, for their second-grade daughter the money they spent was “shocking,” said Dave.

Laura wasn’t quite as surprised. She said she expects the bill every year. However, she still let out a breath when she looked at the receipt.

Supply lists are pretty basic from erasers to colored pencils. Laura said it’s frustrating though because companies seem to take advantage of this time of year. She ends up buying more than she needs because of the way items are packaged.

Coopers said she spent more than $100 last year on her “supply list” and was a little irritated when her kids didn’t use half of the items. She’s saved them for this year.

Though Laura said it’s frustrating that she has to buy Kleenex for her daughter’s class, she’d rather spend the money and let the school use the funds for instruction.