District 202 Parents Can Pay Fees with Credit Cards This Fall

Plainfield School District 202 families will be able to pay their school fees online this fall, and track their financial obligations throughout the year.

The district plans to have a new online fee payment system in place by Aug. 1, in time for families to pay their student fees for the 2011-12 school year.

The new system will reduce manual data entry for bookkeepers and secretaries, improve accurate record keeping and allow student fee data to be updated within 24 hours. This improvement should in turn reduce family phone calls and visits to schools to pay their fees.

Parents and guardians will be able to pay their fees with a credit card or virtual checks. They’ll be able to pay either in-full, or over time as part of a payment plan.

“This new system should be more convenient for parents and guardians, and improve efficiency for the school district and taxpayers,” Finance Director Susan Krautstrunk said.

Last year, the district added several initiatives to help struggling families to pay school fees, including:

• A sliding fee payment scale based on family income
• A waiver of certain approved student fees
• Allowing families to pay their fees over 10 months, up from the previous four-month schedule.