Posted on 08/06/2009 1:17:29 PM PDT by Abathar
If you're 65 years old or older and have low income, Mobile County, Alabama will give an exemption that is renewable yearly within a two week window.
The two week reneweable window tells me that they hope old people will miss it.
HA, no way. You never see that money again and if your child does lose the book then you have to pay again for it to be replaced.
The simple fact is this money goes to a lot of other things besides just textbook rentals. Our local high school has about 1k kids, each averaging lets say $200 each. That means in the four years they go through that school the textbook fee would be about $800k, that's conservative too, and many of those books are older ones like math that don't change with the times either.
I have never heard of anyone being able to do that to be honest, it certainly isn’t an option that is offered to anyone. I believe that in the lower grades it also goes for things like art supplies if I’m not mistaken. They call it a “book rental fee” but I really don’t think the money is all being used for that myself.
Some have told me they pay property taxes on their RVs but it is very minimal compared to owning a home.
The property taxes are included in the fees they pay if they aren’t at a government run park... I doubt very much it’s a reasonable lifestyle for most people.
They turn it over to a collections company. Fast, in IPS. Then a $100 bill turns into $300-$400 right away because they add on fees.
I’m pretty sure I remember another state having had some sort of a lawsuit based on a state constitutional right to a free public education. Bingo, no more book rental fees. I don’t think anything like that has ever been brought in Indiana.
The problem I have is they refuse to give a list out of the cost beforehand during the summer so you can see what classes your kid is taking and how much the cost will be, just estimated so people can have a heads up roughly what it will be.
A lady actually started crying when my wife was in the HS, the bill was over $300 for her one daughter, and my wife overheard her say she still has four more in middle and elementary school to go pay for.
My wife said it was just horrible watching her lose it like that, she said there was anger in the room from about everyone who couldn’t help but feel what this poor (literally) woman was going through.
Martinsville is not a rich community by any means, especially with times like they are now around here. I think there should be some form of relief for people who can prove hardship, but there doesn’t seem to be any other than installment plans. (if they allow that even).
I’ve never heard of charging textbook rental fees. In VA - the only thing that can be charged to the parents are consumables in the AP classes.
Do you get the money back at the end of the year?
Might as well look into private schools. Our governments have gone completely insane. They have a monopoly on power and abuse it without mercy.
Nope, not a cent. It’s a rental fee, so your kid gets a ten year old book but pays what amounts to cover price for any hardcover at Borders but has to turn it back in, and if they lose it or destroy it the replacement cost is ridiculous on top of everything else.
I have three kids in fifth, ninth and twelfth grades this year, grand total - $480. Mandatory. I won’t go on about how much I pay in taxes between my new home and business either...
That is unbelievable - I don’t understand why someone hasn’t brought a lawsuit way before now
Two years ago, my younger was taking AP Psych online and was the only one in the school system taking this particular course. They didn’t have the book for it and had to order it from the publisher at $97. I found it online at Amazon for 9, plus 3.99 shipping. Told the school not to bother. She used the book then resold it on Amazon for 10.
I’m surprised other parents don’t do the same, once you find out what books are needed - or will the school even ‘let’ you do that?
Around here in my community I don’t see any of the problems that many of the more liberal school districts seem to have. My kids in elementary still go to a non-denominational bible study class at a church across the street from the school one day a week, and the younger ones still say a silent “blessing” before they eat lunch.
I haven’t had a single case yet in the twelve years my kids have been in this district that has made me even consider that they are being brainwashed. (We had one teacher one year that was a huge believer in global warming, but if that is the worst my kids have to put up with I can live with it)
I don’t know, I imagine they can’t stop you, but it will have to be the exact textbook and you don’t know what it will be until school starts.
All I know is somewhere, someone is making a killing off of this and there doesn’t seem to be a d*mn thing we can do about it.
If you think about it, take one of the books and run the ISBN code on the back through Amazon and see if the exact book is available and for how much. It would be interesting to find out what the cost difference is
School starts tomorrow, I will do that when they bring their books home, good idea.
No. that money is meant to pay for bloated teachers unions so they can bus to town halls and stump for ObamaCare, more Stimulus packages, and Cap and Trade.
Schoolbooks are on us.
You are seriously blessed for having such a school. Most people have to cringe when they send their kids to school.
You can apply for a fee waiver, but you have to qualify by being under income. That means that the very poor do not have to pay, but the working poor are stuck with what are sometimes BIG bills.
Most likely, your child, or another child of a responsible parent who actually paid the fees, will be forced to buddy-up with a "less fortunate" child for the year and share his textbooks.
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