By Sam Elliott

Parents of students within Hamilton Southeastern Schools can expect to pay a little less overall for school fees this 2016-17 school year.

“One really positive thing that came out of the referendum — there were lots of them with that passing — we were able to restore some supply budgets,” HSE Schools Business Manager Cecilie Nunn said. “A number of the material fees have been reduced.”

Many textbook and material fees have been removed or reduced across grade levels. Rental fees for iPads at the elementary levels and laptops at the high schools have been decreased from $125 to $90.

“Next year will be our first year for iPads at the elementary level, so we did a rental fee for those kids who are going to rent an iPad,” Nunn said. “If they bring their own, there’s no rental fee. That’s only if they’re renting one from us.”

An average elementary student’s fees may decrease from $21 to $48, Nunn said, without an iPad rental fee if a student can bring their own device.

“Junior high fees are falling even more significantly than elementary — $15 to $56 depending on the student’s class schedule without the rental,” she added.

High school students’ fees can vary even more thanks to more class options with different fees attached, but some consumable fees and materials fees are falling at Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School.