DALTON, Ga. — City school board members agreed Monday night to increase tuition for out-of-district students, but the new fees won’t be as high as some they had discussed.
Under one proposed formula, the fee would have increased to about $1,400 — roughly the amount from residential property taxes it costs to educate one child for one year. It costs about $9,000 total each year per child. The rest comes from the state and local business taxes, said Vice Chairman Mark Orr.
Board members decided instead to stick with current policy which bases tuition on what an average Dalton taxpayer would pay in local school taxes for a residence within the district, according to school policy.
“We all seem to want to increase (tuition), but want to bare in mind the touch economic times,” said School Board Chairman Steve Williams. “We don’t want to keep kids out because of their difficulties in meeting tuition requirements.”
TUITION FEES2009-10* $855: First child* $531: Second child* $360: Third child2010-11* $1,000: First child* $750: Second child* $500: Third child2010-11 Tuition will be the same for employees as this year:* $648: First child* $402: Second child* $269: Third childSource: Dalton Public Schools, Mark Orr