Instructional fees will be simpler at the high school level this year at Worthington schools, and middle school students will get an extra winter vacation day Jan. 3.

The Worthington school board approved fee information for the 2010-11 school year at its meeting Monday, July 26.

District Superintendent Melissa Conrath said the fee schedule should be simpler for parents this year.

"We've significantly changed the fee schedule at the high school level by deciding to charge a flat-rate high school fee, as opposed to individual course fees," she said. "This should make it easier for parents and for students."

The high school instructional fee is now $65 per student. Two other fees at the high school level are a $25 graduation fee and $40 for a parking permit.

Middle school fees are $38.40 per student, which supplements the cost of supplies used for instruction in classes such as science, family and consumer science, art, music and technology education.

Elementary school fees are $24 for prekindergarten and kindergarten; $42 for grades 1-3, and $36 for grades 4-6.

Conrath said the fees are for student workbooks and other materials; the pre-K fees include daily snacks.

She said fees are collected by check with registration material at the beginning of the school year, but any student approved for the free lunch program will be exempt from fees.

Students approved for the reduced-price lunch will pay half the assessed fees.

Also at this week's meeting, board members authorized a request for a waiver from the Ohio Department of Education for a student release day that normally would be a part of the 182 minimum school calendar days.

Middle school Principals Santha Stall, Pamela VanHorn and Jeff Maddox requested Jan. 3 as a staff development day for the middle schools only.

"We have made changes to the middle school structure this year and teachers and principals need this day to assess what is successful and what is not about the restructure," Conrath said.

The district is merging Perry Middle School with McCord Middle School this year, bringing about 150 students to McCord and leaving just the Phoenix Middle School Program in the Perry building.

The restructuring eliminates team teaching in all the middle schools.

Board Vice President Marc Schare said the school year in the United States already is 10 to 15 days shorter than in other developing countries.

"I don't think that's a good thing," he said. "Is this a one-time request?"

"I hope not," VanHorn replied. "Honestly, we need time to sift through data and become more informed about how we can help our students."

"If we continue to do what we have always done," Stall said, "we will get the same results we always get.

"We really need to have time to immerse ourselves in the data."

"The whole middle school restructure brings tremendous change," Maddox said.

"We're changing the way we're delivering our instructional schedule," he said. "We are also asking our entire middle school staff to go through these changes and need time to process and assess how the changes are going, because at some point, we'll be asked that question."

All the board members approved the request for the waiver, though Schare told the principals, "Based on your answers, I vote 'yes' for this day, but reluctantly."