The Board of Education is seeking public comment on revisions to a policy on curricular expenses for students, which originally had been called “out-of-pocket expenses for students.”

The revised Policy JNA, Curricular Expenses for Students, provides the authority for schools to establish curricular expenses associated with the instructional program but would “ensure that all students, regardless of their economic circumstances, have full access to all courses and the instructional materials required for those courses.”

While the draft policy continues to permit schools authority to request that “students purchase supplemental materials,” a revision to the policy stipulates that “access to supplemental materials may not be denied” to any student.

Furthermore, the draft policy also says that “no student will be excluded from participation in any course requiring lab fees based on the inability to pay the fee. Students will not be penalized academically for their inability to pay for supplemental materials.”

An approval process for such charges on an annual basis is included in the policy, which is available on the web at the link below.

Individuals who wish to comment about the policy should respond in writing by June 6, 2003. All responses should be sent to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850.