Published May 14, 2020
By JILLIAN STRING
NORTH READING — Refunds totaling more than $190,000 will be returned to families by the North Reading Public Schools for services not rendered due to the school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michael Connelly, the school department will be issuing refunds for a number of school-based programs over the next few weeks.
Refunds will be issued to families who paid spring athletic user fees, bus transportation, full day kindergarten, full and half day pre-kindergarten, and school trips.
Connelly informed the School Committee at its May 4 meeting that 91 checks will be issued to families who paid their spring athletic user fees online totaling $24,100. Connelly explained that user fees paid by check will be voided and returned to families in June.
Pro-rated refunds for pre-K and K students
For full day kindergarten, 145 families will be issued refunds for a total of $72,500. Partial refunds will be given to families who had paid the full-year $4,250 tuition payment, including the $250 deposit and the $1,000 fourth quarter payment in February. The district will offer a 50 percent refund off the final $1,000 payment for services between April and June.
Partial refunds will be given to pre-kindergarten families who had paid the full day $6,000 tuition payment or $3,000 half day payment, including the final $1,450 payment for full day and $725 payment for half day paid by March 1. The district will offer a 50% refund off the final $1,450 full day payment and 50% off the final $725 half day payment for services between April and June.
According to Connelly, there are 15 full day pre-K families and 14 half day pre-K families who will receive a refund for a total financial impact of $15,950.
Connelly stated that school trips will be refunded on a case-by-case basis, and noted that High School Performing Arts teacher Allison Kane is already working on the paperwork required for refunding fees associated with the canceled Disney trip.
25% discount from bus fee
For busing, the district will offer a 25 percent discount for the lack of bus services provided during the months of April, May, and June. This amounts to a $100 refund for those 300 families that paid the individual bus pass fee of $400 and a $160 refund for those 219 families that paid the family bus pass fee of $650. The total amount of the bus refund is $78,705.
“It certainly may take us a few weeks to start processing these refunds,” Connelly told the committee.
School Committee Chairman Scott Buckley inquired as to why the busing refund totaled more than the refund issued to the district by North Reading Transportation (NRT).
Connelly said the district “is trying to find that balance between what’s fair to the families…and what we’re able to afford.”
School Committee member Rich McGowan stated that he was not sure a refund for kindergarten was appropriate, given that remote learning is continuing.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly explained that the refund is being offered because kindergarten students are currently only receiving a half day of remote learning instruction and only received enrichment activities between March 13 and April 6.
The refunds were unanimously approved by the School Committee.
Option to donate funds
According to Connelly, families will be given the opportunity to make a tax deductible donation of a portion or all of their refund back to the district via a Google automated form.