Fees for everything! (band, etc)

[Anonymous]

Go ask your PTA where their funds go. I guarantee there's a line item somewhere in there for the school to buy supplies of some sort (think paper, toner, etc.). Yes, really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In such a well-funded district where band kids at our HS are required to go door-to-door asking for money from neighbors on Tag Day (and this is the biggest fundraiser, raising something like $20k), why is it that we still have to pay a $50 band fee?? We do not rent an instrument, already supplement with outside lessons, and purchased an overpriced home for this “great” district. Why do I constantly feel nickel and dimed? Anyone else annoyed? What fees are you paying for your kid’s public education?

$50 band fee is nothing. Go ask the Crew team how much they have to pay for Crew participation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In such a well-funded district where band kids at our HS are required to go door-to-door asking for money from neighbors on Tag Day (and this is the biggest fundraiser, raising something like $20k), why is it that we still have to pay a $50 band fee?? We do not rent an instrument, already supplement with outside lessons, and purchased an overpriced home for this “great” district. Why do I constantly feel nickel and dimed? Anyone else annoyed? What fees are you paying for your kid’s public education?

$50 band fee is nothing. Go ask the Crew team how much they have to pay for Crew participation.

I feel like $50 is the amount my mom donated so we wouldn't have to buy decorative candles and dry cookies from my public school choir in the 1980s.

Our band and orchestra is relatively cheap but the kids have to do TAG days for booster money. This year we may have to pay $30 and buy a black shirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's no secret that specialized activities and extra curriculum and all sports receive 0 funding from FCPS. Small stipend for coaching if anything. Hence the PTA, boosters, and fundraising.

Band is an arts class that fulfills state graduation requirements. It is part of a high school curriculum. Sports are an after school activity that is not part of the state curriculum requirements.

The band fee covers music licensing and printing for the students, required for music performances. The uniform is extra, so the money due for music classes is quite a bit more than $50.00. It is actually well over $100.00 the first year, and perhaps future years if the freshman outgrows his uniform.

Art classes pay extra fees too.

FCPS has a 4 BILLION dollar budget.

There is no reason why these music licensing fees and art fees are not covered by the district.

Wtf are they doing to waste all those billions of dollars?

FCPS currently intends to spend multi millions of dollars creating an aviation magnet school for a miniscule amount of students. The early numbers being thrown around are approximately 400 students in the magnet school.

You do the math.

FCPS cannot afford to pay $50.00/music student to print sheet music and pay approximately 12 licensing fees per music ensemble in the high school music classes, but they are willing to spend tens of thousands per student, plus the building purchase and renovation, to stand up a magnet program for around 100 students per grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In such a well-funded district where band kids at our HS are required to go door-to-door asking for money from neighbors on Tag Day (and this is the biggest fundraiser, raising something like $20k), why is it that we still have to pay a $50 band fee?? We do not rent an instrument, already supplement with outside lessons, and purchased an overpriced home for this “great” district. Why do I constantly feel nickel and dimed? Anyone else annoyed? What fees are you paying for your kid’s public education?

$50 band fee is nothing. Go ask the Crew team how much they have to pay for Crew participation.

Crew is not a class.

This music fee is essentially FCPS requiring the music students to purchase the physical textbooks for their graded academic music class, as well as paying for the contracts (rights) to use the textbooks required for the curriculum.

Choir, orchestra and guitar pay it too.

Music and art are the ONLY classes in FCPS that require parents to pay between $50.00-$100.00 per class in order for the students to receive the academic textbooks required to take the class.

[Anonymous]

OP, who do you think gets the money for your "overpriced home"? It's not FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's no secret that specialized activities and extra curriculum and all sports receive 0 funding from FCPS. Small stipend for coaching if anything. Hence the PTA, boosters, and fundraising.

Band is an arts class that fulfills state graduation requirements. It is part of a high school curriculum. Sports are an after school activity that is not part of the state curriculum requirements.

The band fee covers music licensing and printing for the students, required for music performances. The uniform is extra, so the money due for music classes is quite a bit more than $50.00. It is actually well over $100.00 the first year, and perhaps future years if the freshman outgrows his uniform.

Art classes pay extra fees too.

FCPS has a 4 BILLION dollar budget.

There is no reason why these music licensing fees and art fees are not covered by the district.

Wtf are they doing to waste all those billions of dollars?

FCPS currently intends to spend multi millions of dollars creating an aviation magnet school for a miniscule amount of students. The early numbers being thrown around are approximately 400 students in the magnet school.

You do the math.

FCPS cannot afford to pay $50.00/music student to print sheet music and pay approximately 12 licensing fees per music ensemble in the high school music classes, but they are willing to spend tens of thousands per student, plus the building purchase and renovation, to stand up a magnet program for around 100 students per grade.

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

What I take issue with is the kids doing door to door fundraising AND paying fees at every turn. Band trips are an additional fee. And I already paid for the band outfit! Teachers are salaried, no? So where is all this money going? Oh and they gave us a crappy — virtually unplayable — instrument to rent, so we had to buy our own. And yes, to the PP who said to “grow up”…of course I’ll pay the fee. It just gets to be a little much year after year, especially because they know we will pay it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go ask your PTA where their funds go. I guarantee there's a line item somewhere in there for the school to buy supplies of some sort (think paper, toner, etc.). Yes, really.

This is not a PTA thing.

This fee is for the academic music classes, NOT the after school marching band.

The "textbooks" in music classes are the sheet music.

To use and perform music, choirs, band and orchestra are required by law to pay music licensing fees, and purchase the rights to use, perform and print the sheet music.

FCPS requires music students to purchase the text books (ie sheet music) used in their academic classes, as well as pay the music licensing fees (similar to the licensing fees and software licensing paid by fcps to use, for example, digital textbooks.)

Free and reduced students have their sheet music (ie textbooks) paid for by FCPS.

Every other music student in FCPS has to pay for their sheet music (ie textbooks) and licensing to use, print and perform the music.

No other academic class is required to pay for their own textbooks, printed handouts or software/textbook licensing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I take issue with is the kids doing door to door fundraising AND paying fees at every turn. Band trips are an additional fee. And I already paid for the band outfit! Teachers are salaried, no? So where is all this money going? Oh and they gave us a crappy — virtually unplayable — instrument to rent, so we had to buy our own. And yes, to the PP who said to “grow up”…of course I’ll pay the fee. It just gets to be a little much year after year, especially because they know we will pay it.

Band trips are extra.

You should pay for your own activity.

The fundraising is for kids like yours whose parents can't or don't want to pay the full amount for their kid's fun stuff and activities.

Band trips are optional, and are part of the music program, but not part of the academic classes.

You, and every other music students, should definitely pay (or fundraise) for your school trips.

You should pay for your kid's uniform. They wear it at least 4-5 times each year (around 20x over 4 years), it is ordered to size and you own it. If you don't want to buy one new, you can probably get a used one from a graduated senior for cheap.

What you should not be required to pay for is the music fee that pays for what is essentially the required textbooks and licensing for the academic music classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, who do you think gets the money for your "overpriced home"? It's not FCPS

I recognize this, but people are getting into bidding wars over houses here — for the schools! Like a PP, I’d love to know how we can have such an enormous school budget but not be able to fund the curriculum?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of our taxes fund everything Richmond and south.
The ratio of taxes to population is skewed so Fairfax Co actually doesn't get back what we/taxpayers put in.

To make up for this shortfall? Local taxes like restaurant, property, local sales tax, and bag tax (which is supposed to be for the environment, but...?).

This argument doesn't fly when you consider how FCPS wastes their 4 billion dollar budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In such a well-funded district where band kids at our HS are required to go door-to-door asking for money from neighbors on Tag Day (and this is the biggest fundraiser, raising something like $20k), why is it that we still have to pay a $50 band fee?? We do not rent an instrument, already supplement with outside lessons, and purchased an overpriced home for this “great” district. Why do I constantly feel nickel and dimed? Anyone else annoyed? What fees are you paying for your kid’s public education?

$50 band fee is nothing. Go ask the Crew team how much they have to pay for Crew participation.

Crew is not a class.

This music fee is essentially FCPS requiring the music students to purchase the physical textbooks for their graded academic music class, as well as paying for the contracts (rights) to use the textbooks required for the curriculum.

Choir, orchestra and guitar pay it too.

Music and art are the ONLY classes in FCPS that require parents to pay between $50.00-$100.00 per class in order for the students to receive the academic textbooks required to take the class.

We paid $45 a semester last year for middle school home ec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our marching band, fees are $100, and could be more depending on if the child needs marching shoes or an instrument rental.

The money covers the uniform costs, uniform cleanings, two sets of band t-shirts and shorts, band sweatpants, beanie, and two sets of gloves. It also covers music, choreography, fees for competitions, and other expenses to run the program.

Band boosters use funds to transport equipment to competitions (U-Haul trucks), as well as pay for bottled water and snacks during competitions, parties for the kids, banquets and celebrations, senior pictures and banners, scholarships for students, drum major camp for band leaders, insurance to cover any liabilities, and so on.

Believe me, it all starts to add up.

Signed,

A Band Booster Treasurer

The $50.00 music fee is for the class, not marching band.

She is essentially required to buy her kid's textbooks and the district software licensing to take an academic class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I take issue with is the kids doing door to door fundraising AND paying fees at every turn. Band trips are an additional fee. And I already paid for the band outfit! Teachers are salaried, no? So where is all this money going? Oh and they gave us a crappy — virtually unplayable — instrument to rent, so we had to buy our own. And yes, to the PP who said to “grow up”…of course I’ll pay the fee. It just gets to be a little much year after year, especially because they know we will pay it.

Band trips are extra.

You should pay for your own activity.

The fundraising is for kids like yours whose parents can't or don't want to pay the full amount for their kid's fun stuff and activities.

Band trips are optional, and are part of the music program, but not part of the academic classes.

You, and every other music students, should definitely pay (or fundraise) for your school trips.

You should pay for your kid's uniform. They wear it at least 4-5 times each year (around 20x over 4 years), it is ordered to size and you own it. If you don't want to buy one new, you can probably get a used one from a graduated senior for cheap.

What you should not be required to pay for is the music fee that pays for what is essentially the required textbooks and licensing for the academic music classes.

Agree.