Student registration fees will increase for the 2026-27 school year to help cover the cost of instructional materials for new class curriculum, Vicki Tarver-Andersen, Director of Business Services and Board of Education Treasurer, said.

Additionally, parking fees will increase from $350 to $375; individual bus passes will increase from $1,000 to $1,100; bus pass sibling rates will increase from $500 to $550; and preschool tuition will increase from $1,100 to $1,125, according to a District 225 Memorandum.

Specific fees are decided based on bids, an offer to provide certain services for the school, Dr. Kimberly Ptak, Director of Operations, said. For student transportation, building parking lots, and purchsing computers, companies submit bids with pricing offers and are chosen based on the lowest bid, Ptak said.   

“We really do our due diligence to get the lowest cost possible,” Ptak said.

South has one of the lowest fees of any high school in the surrounding area, Tarver-Andersen said. Additionally, a free and reduced program is offered to families who are not able to afford the fees, Tarver-Andersen said.

“Other districts charge participation fees when you’re in a sport or a club, which we do not charge,” Tarver-Andersen said. “Even though some of our fees are increasing in some of the areas, they are  still relatively low compared to other districts in the area.”