For the first time in five years, Hays CISD high school students will be required to partially foot the bill for their Advanced Placement (AP) Exams.
Those changes come after the district altered its AP Exam policy prior to the 2017-2018 school year, which was enacted after “feedback received from students and their families,” according to a letter sent to parents.
However, an additional factor involved state and federal subsidy cuts for AP exams.
Tim Savoy, Hays CISD public information officer, said the district uses state and federal subsidies to help cover a portion of the cost incurred from offering AP exams.
Prior to 2018, Hays CISD’s policy required students to take all AP exams in courses they were enrolled in.
In 2017, the district incurred a $223,000 bill for the AP Exams, with subsidies covering approximately $45,000 of that.
Hays CISD’s board of trustees has also historically increased its annual $128,000 budget to cover the AP exam cost.
However, the Texas Education Agency in December 2017 announced a decrease the state AP exam subsidy from $30 to $24 dollars for eligible students.
The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act eliminated a federal subsidy of $16 per eligible student.
As a result, Hays CISD trustees opted not to increase its AP Exam budget for the 2018 fiscal year, Savoy said. The district also altered its AP Exam policy by eliminating the requirement for students to take them.
Rising test costs and budget constraints was a factor in district officials making those changes, Savoy said. The cost of AP Exams rose to $94 per test in 2018.
“Some kids concentrated on the test they wanted to concentrate on, or they could have been spread thin because they had to study for all of them,” Savoy said. “With the investment, they don’t have to take any tests, if they don’t want to.”
But some Hays CISD students fear paying for exams may affect those who might be economically disadvantaged.
Claudia Palomarez, a Lehman High senior, said she understood the district’s previous policy was a luxury. She said many districts in the area don’t pay for students to take AP exams. It also did create challenges for students when it came to studying for multiple exams.
However, Palomarez said the district has a “high number of students who can’t afford AP Exams.” Palomarez said the district’s policy shouldn’t hinder them from being able to take the tests, and potentially receive college credit.
Savoy said the district has a plan that allows students on free and reduced lunch to only pay a portion of the discounted rate.
“I feel fortunate enough that my family can pay for that, but I still think a lot of families can’t pay for that,” Palomarez said.
She also was frustrated by what she believed was a lack of communication by the district to students on the changes. Palomarez said some students received the district’s old policy, which said Hays CISD would pay for all exams.
Savoy said the district sent letters to parents notifying them of the changes prior to school starting in August. However, he said some students were also given material before the district enacted its policy changes in January 2017.
On Feb. 14, Hays CISD sent a letter to parents regarding AP exam registration, as well as changes in its policy.
Students and parents were also given an option to apply for additional fee waivers for financial assistance. Applications will be “reviewed by a campus-based committee,” and applicants will be notified on Feb. 26 if they will receive additional assistance.
“We’re frustrated because of the discombobulation at the top that trickles down to the bottom,” Palomarez said. “It stresses out our administrators and teachers, and it stresses us.”
