Parents at Royal Vale school protest extracurricular costs

Some parents are upset over the growingcosts of after-school programs atRoyal Vale elementary, and they're refusing to pay until they find out exactly how their money is being spent.

For the past few years, parents have paid about$975 for an enriched extracurricular program at Royal Vale elementary inNotre-Dame-de-Grce.

Parents recently found out that cost would go up by $270 for the next school year.

Now some of them are refusing to pay, until they have a clear picture of where their $1,245 isgoing to end up.

"When parents ... were made aware of this, there was no explanation given," says Jim Pfaus, chairthe Royal Vale elementary governing board

"Parents are their stakeholders ... they should have been given an explanation."

Extra fees will help cover audit expenses

Pfaussays heknows exactly why the fees are going up, even if the reasons remain unclear for some parents.

He says he noticed other schools in the cityrun similar programs for half the cost, so as the board chair, he askedfor an audit of the parent volunteer committeethat collects the fees theRoyal ValeHome and School Association.

He said it's important to find out how much the programs actually cost.

"Parent volunteers are the essence of the school, but they're not all accountants,"Pfaussays.

His governing board also asked the association to hire a full-time operating manager, to help get its finances in order.

Pfaus says the program fee increase will go towards that newsalary, as well as the costs of the audit.

He says the Home and School Association should have explained that to parents, instead of leaving them in the dark.

Extracurricularsmay get axed over muddled finances

Pfaus'son, Josh, is in the fifth grade at thepublic school.

Pfaus says the extracurricular programming is a great asset for Josh, whotakesguitar lessons on Wednesdays, karate on Mondays and drama on Fridays.

Buthe says the board may have to consider choppingextracurricularsif the Home and School Association doesn't get its books in order.

No one from Royal Vale's Home and School Association was immediately available for comment.