School Fees FAQ
NOTE: This page has been updated with forms and information for the 2020-21 school year.
This page contains some of the most frequently asked questions about school fees for District 401 students. To see the answer to a particular question, simply click any part of the section containing that question.
School fees for the 2020-21 school year have been set as follows:
► Pre-Kindergarten: $3,000 (monthly payments available)
► Pre-Kindergarten (special ed): $50
► Kindergarten Half Day: $170
► Kindergarten Full Day-Grade 8 (John Mills, Elmwood, Elm): $200
► Elmwood Park High School: $350
► Co-op/Alternative School: $50
Other fees for the 2020-21 school year include but are not limited to the following:
► EPHS Senior Graduation Fee: $60
(This fee is NOT eligible to be waived; the graduation fee is preloaded to your student's webstore account)
► EPHS Advanced Placement Test Fee: $85 each
(This is only for students enrolled in AP classes; fees will be loaded into student accounts over winter break)
► Driver's Education Fee: $275
(This is for sophomore Behind-the-Wheel)
Yes. Enrollment in District 401 requires the payment of school fees each year. The amount for each school is set by the District 401 Board of Education.
Families are expected to pay their fees unless a fee waiver is obtained. Please note, however, that preschool tuition ($3,000) cannot be waived.
A $30 fee will be assessed for all returned checks.
You may be eligible for a fee waiver.
The terms "school fees" or "fees mean any monetary charge collected by District 401 from a student or the parent(s)/guardian(s) of a student as a prerequisite for the student's participation in any curricular or extracurricular program of the District.
District 401 does not impose a "fee" when it requires that a student provide his or her own ordinary supplies of materials (e.g., pencil, paper, notebooks), which are necessary to participate in any curricular or extracurricular program.
No. School fees will vary depending on the grades and type of school involved. A complete list of school fees for 2020-21 is available here.
The District 401 Board of Education sets the fees based on the advice of the District administration.
You can pay by mail with a check or money order, or you can pay online with a credit or debit card via the District's webstore. (In the case of returning students, school fees have been preloaded to their webstore accounts.)
With either method you can pay by installments as long as your total amount is received by the final due date.
If your child is a new student, you have the option of paying your 2020-21 fees in person at your home school.
If your child is a returning student, you have the option of paying your 2020-21 school fees in person with cash, credit or debit card, money order or check during the open enrollment day scheduled for Monday, July 20, 2020, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Elmwood Park High School. Please bring copies of your proofs of residency and all required forms with you.
For more information about payment methods, visit the School Fees page on the District 401 home site.
NOTE: Although returning students have the option of enrolling and paying in person on open enrollment day, we recommend that you mail, scan or fax in your residency documents and pay your fees online.
Yes. Returning students must use this form, while new students must use this form.
School fees along with other monies due to the school (lost books, book fines, etc.) typically must be paid in full by early in the fall semester.
For the 2020-21 school year, the due date for students in grades K-12 to make full payment is Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.
Preschool tuition cannot be waived, but the amount can be paid in 10 monthly installments of $300, due on the first of each month.
Returning students may begin paying their 2020-21 fees on Monday, May 4, 2020.
New students in grades K-12 who enter District 401 after the due date will have 30 days to pay all fees after they have enrolled in the District (unless they are eligible for fee waivers). Preschool tuition cannot be waived, but the amount can be paid in monthly installments, due on the first of each month.
Use this link to access District 401's online payment system — aka, the D401 webstore.
Yes. Use this link for information about applying for a fee waiver.
Please note that preschool tuition ($3,000) cannot be waived, although monthly payments can be made.
It depends. The amount of refund — if any — that you receive will be determined by when you leave District 401.
If a student leaves D401 after paying all required fees, the following refund policy applies:
► 75 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the first week of school
► 50 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the second week
► 25 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the third week
► Zero refund if the student leaves after the end of the third week