Portage schools parents saw a new name for an old expense when high school classes resumed last week.
The Portage Township Schools board this week approved a new name, Curriculum Support Materials Fee, for textbook, workbook and class fees, what once were labeled textbook rental fees.
The new name reflects the district’s reliance on new technologies, Board President Andy Maletta said after Monday’s meeting.
There’s no way of knowing what parents will face, because the fees depend on the costs of textbooks, “consumables,” like workbooks, and supply fees for classes like chemistry and other sciences, said Dan Toleikis, assistant director of finance for the district.
“(The fee) changes so much based upon the courses the students take,” he said.
Instead, the board voted to accept a spreadsheet with all of the high school courses and associated fees, he said.
The board also approved a waste and recycle contract for $36,088 with Waste Management, Superintendent Richard Weigel said.
Each building in the district gets a four- or six-yard Dumpster and recycling bins for regular pickups and disposal. Some buildings will use them more at some times than at others, so there may be some minor fluctuations in the actual costs, Toleikis said.
Waste Management beat out four other bidders for the contract.
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Finally, the board renewed its contract with Neola, an Ohio-based company that consults 1,300 school districts across the country on policy updates. As Indiana laws affecting local school policies change, the company sends updates to its client school districts, Weigel explained.
Portage schools gets one to two updates a year, costing about $130 for each update, he said.
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.