Obtaining Permission to Charge PK Tuition
Does your charter charge tuition to parents with students in PK who are ineligible under free eligibility guidelines? If so, you must annually submit a letter to TEA to obtain permission from the commissioner to justify your tuition rate. Ideally, the rate should be approved before you charge parents. Click here to access the form letter to complete the task. Once completed, email the letter to rebecca.matz@tea.texas.gov.
Why is permission required?
The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that any LEA charging tuition is not profiting (since public schools hold non-profit status). The costs should include all costs associated with running the program including teacher pay, utilities, security, rent, admin costs, food, and any other costs expensed by the school.
CSS advises your charter to keep detailed financial records of how you arrive at your tuition rate. However, in the letter you should put a “brief explanation of how the proposed tuition rate relates to current district costs for providing the program.”
The CSS finance team can help schools arrive at accurate costs to support tuition charges as well as handling the accounting!
Where can I get more information?
Please visit this website for more information: https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/prekindergarten-tuition
If you have already started charging tuition for the 2024-25 school year and have not submitted this letter to the commissioner yet, you should do so ASAP.
As a reminder, if a school district has 15 or more eligible 4-year-old children, it must offer a free full day of prekindergarten to those children. Tuition for ineligible children ages 4 or below can be based on half or full day.
Need our help?
- Contact Jackie Hernandez, Chief Financial Officer – jhernandez@charterschoolsuccess.com
- Visit the Charter School Community Roundtable, where you can ask questions, get answers and discuss now!