Law: Kids who get free lunches don’t pay fees

Law: Kids who get free lunches don’t pay fees

COLUMBUS (AP) — As Ohio students head back to school, a new state law exempts more low- income families from fees charged for class supplies.

The law says school boards may not require students to pay for instructional materials if they’re eligible for free lunches.

Previously, students whose families were on welfare were off the hook.

Not all districts have the fees, though some charge students $20 or even more than $50 per year for materials including workbooks and art supplies.

Some school systems say they were already exempting students who qualified for free lunches subsidized by the federal government.

Julia Bauer, a staff attorney for the Ohio School Boards Association, says the new law came so quickly that districts didn’t have time to plan for the lost income.