Over the past several years, many districts have raised student fees in order to comply with the revenue controls. In the 1998-99 revenue caps study, for example, it was learned that the amount of fees statewide increased by about 60% between 1993-1994 and 1998-99.(1) The average increase was four times the rate of inflation over this same time period.

The revenue caps have reduced the proportion of the local property tax going for schools; however, one consequence has been an increase in out-of-pocket expenses for parents. In the current study, 54% of superintendents say that their district increased student fees over the past three or four years. Of this group, 55% report that the increase was due "directly" to the revenue caps, while 30% said the increase was due "partly" to the revenue caps.

(1). For example, secondary level fees increased from about $27 in 1993-94 to $44 in 1998-99.