MASON CITY — Mason City school board members were set to consider the district’s proposed 2026-27 student fee schedule during their June 15 meeting, outlining registration, transportation, activity and meal costs for the upcoming school year.
Under the proposal, required general enrollment fees would remain $35 for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and $70 for students in grades seven through 12.
The district would continue a family cap of $150 on general enrollment fees, and those fees remain eligible for waiver through the district’s fee waiver program.
For many families, registration fees are only part of the annual cost of sending children to school. Activity tickets, transportation fees, yearbooks, parking permits and meal expenses can add significantly to household budgets, particularly for families with multiple students.
The proposed optional fees include:
• Memory books for students in grades 5-8: $20
• Student activity tickets:
- $30 for K-4 students
- $50 for grades 5-12
• High school parking permits: $10
• High school yearbooks:
- $70 when preordered
- $90 if purchased in the spring
The proposal also continues optional transportation fees for students who live within the district’s non-mandatory transportation zones.
Students in grades K-8 who live less than two miles from school and students in grades 9-12 who live less than three miles from school may choose to pay for daily bus transportation.
Transportation rates would be:
One student:
• $70 quarterly
• $125 per semester
• $240 annually
Two or more students:
• $140 quarterly
• $250 per semester
• $480 annually
Like enrollment fees, transportation fees remain eligible for waiver through the district’s fee waiver process.
The proposal also outlines school meal pricing.
Breakfast and lunch prices would be:
• Student breakfast: $1.75
• Student lunch: $2.95
• Adult breakfast: $3.00
• Adult lunch: $5.25
School officials generally review student fee schedules annually to ensure costs reflect operating expenses while balancing affordability for families. The district’s fee waiver program is designed to assist qualifying households with required and certain optional educational costs.
The fee schedule was presented as part of the board’s preparations for the 2026-27 school year and will help establish the costs families can expect when registration opens for the coming academic year.