Most student fees won’t go up next year on Bainbridge

Parents of Bainbridge students won’t have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover student fees next year.

Parents of Bainbridge students won’t have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover student fees next year.

The Bainbridge Island School Board approved the schedule of course fees for students at Bainbridge High and Woodward Middle School at the board’s meeting last week, and most of the fees will remain the same.

The sports participation fee at BHS will stay at its current rate of $250. Student parking passes will also remain at $240.

Course fees will mostly stay the same, though students in AP Studio Art, AP Biology and AP Physics classes will also pay AP test fees in addition to course fees. The AP exam fee is estimated to cost $94.

The fee for biology courses will increase from $15 to $20 a semester. District Superintendent Faith Chapel said that was to be expected, given the tremendous number of labs conducted during the course.

“Our biology class is very, very hands-on,” she said.

Fees for Associated Student Body cards at Bainbridge High — a major funding source for student activities and the student athletic program — are expected to stay at $45 for the 2013-14 school year. The ASB card fee is set by students on an annual basis.

The school board also voted to keep most student fees at Woodward Middle School at their current level. The exception was for seventh-grade field trips; that fee will rise from $11 to $20.