Questions have arisen in two large Florida school districts about the fees some charter schools are charging parents, putting a bigger spotlight on a gray area involving charters in Florida and beyond.

Last month, the 200,000-student Hillsborough County School District sent letters to 11,170 charter school families, telling them fees at some schools might be against the law, and that charters can’t kick out children whose parents don’t pay up. In May, meanwhile, the state Department of Education issued an opinion to the 41,000 Lake County district, saying charter schools cannot allow parents to pay a fee in lieu of volunteer hours.

Charter schools are publicly funded and open to students regardless of income. Many charge fees in the same way district schools do – for lab supplies or band equipment, for example. But some also ask for voluntary donations that may make parents feel pressured to contribute, and could raise questions about access.

Florida isn’t the only place where such fees have come under scrutiny.

A recent Reuters story highlighted several examples. In Illinois, families at Cambridge Lakes Charter School pay registration fees of $210 to $225 per student and invest in the company that built the school or risk losing their kid’s seat. At a minimum, families must invest $120 a year, the story said, or pay $5,000 for a “lifetime stake.” In California, the Pacific Collegiate School asks parents for a voluntary $3,000 donation. In Arizona, most charters in the Great Hearts Academy networks ask parents for a voluntary $1,500.

In Florida, it’s not clear how many charter schools charge fees, and for what purpose, or for how much. No one tracks the fees.

Mike Kooi, the departing executive director of DOE’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, said there is a point where the fees would become inappropriate. “Any fee that becomes a condition on acceptance into any school, charter or non-charter,” he said, “would be problematic in my opinion.’’ (more…)