DALTON CITY SCHOOLSTUITION RATES:Non-employees1st child $1,0002nd child $7503rd and more $500School Employees1st child $6482nd child $4023rd and more $269WHITFIELD COUNTY SCHOOLSTUITION RATES:1st child $1,1672nd child $875.253rd and more $583.50Note: Whitfield schools employees do not pay tuition
DALTON, Ga. - Despite a funding shortfall of $4 million to $5 million for the upcoming school year, Dalton City Schools will not raise tuition rates for out-of-district students.
At a board retreat earlier this month, board members asked school leaders to look for more sources of income since state and local tax revenues are down.
But when the idea of a tuition increase for out-of-district students was raised, board members said they wanted to keep tuition low to make Dalton City Schools an attractive choice for parents.
The board voted unanimously to approve the current tuition rates during Monday's board meeting. The rate is $1,000 per student for out-of-district enrollees. Parents with multiple children enrolled and school employees pay less tuition on a sliding scale.
Tuition is based on the amount of taxes paid on an average residential property in Dalton for the 2010 digest.
Board Chairman Steve Williams said the board came up with the formula for calculating tuition several years ago, and he doesn't see any reason to change something that works.
"It's a formula that seems reasonable and adds stability to the process," Williams said Wednesday. "We aren't changing the tuition just because we need revenue."
This year, the school has 384 out-of-district students, including 122 children of school employees. Tuition fees totaled $305,555.
School districts receive state funding for all students attending the school, with about 50 percent of Dalton's general operating funds coming from state dollars. However, operational costs for the school system are more than $8,000 per student, based on this year's budget.
Williams said the idea for the tuition was calculated on what an average parent would pay, not necessarily to cover costs. He also pointed out that around 300 children from inside the city attend schools other than Dalton City schools, but their parents pay city taxes.