Texas Parents Question $1-Per-Minute Late Pickup Fee at Elementary School



Parents are questioning a policy at Herrera Elementary School in Houston that charges parents $1 per minute if their children are picked up late. The parents are seeking clarification on whether the school is authorized to impose such fees. While a $1-per-minute late fee is not unusual in daycare or after-school programs, applying this policy to regular school dismissal times is something parents say they have never encountered. Parents were given a form outlining the policy, which states that student dismissal time is at 3 p.m. and late fees apply after 3:30 p.m. Parent Lydia Alaniz picked up her two children 31 minutes late and was charged a $62 late fee. "Even if you’re there on time, the pickup line will make it hard for most parents to get their kids before 3:30,” said Alaniz. When Alaniz asked the principal where the collected fees go, she was told the money is used to pay the front office staff for supervising children after hours. The policy has drawn criticism from Hector Mireles, President of Texas Support Personnel Employees Local 1, who questioned its legitimacy. He said the issue has never been brought to the board for approval and doesn’t think it would ever be approved if it were. Some schools in the district with after-school programs have similar documents about late pickups, but that pertains to after-school programs, not for daily dismissal.