Houston ISD: Charges for unauthorized late pickup at elementary school waived

HOUSTON – The Houston Independent School District (HISD) confirms to FOX 26 that it has stopped unapproved politics at Herrera Elementary School which charged parents $1 per minute for late pick-ups.

A HISD official stated, “HISD is aware that families at Herrera Elementary School have been charged late pick-up fees. This is not an approved policy of Houston ISD. This practice has been discontinued and the district is taking corrective action.

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Houston ISD charged parents for late school pickup

What we know:

On Jan. 14, parents at Herrera Elementary told FOX 26 exclusively that they are being charged $1 per minute per child after 3:30 p.m.

Lydia Alaniz showed us documents from the school where she was charged $62 for picking up two children 31 minutes late. Alaniz expressed concern that school lines often prevent parents from picking up their children before 3:30 p.m.

“There are a lot of families in the area who pick up kids from different schools and they can all get out around the same time,” Alanise said in a previous interview. “And what’s going on with the money? Why do they only accept cash and money orders?” she asked.

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Hector Mirels, president of Texas Support Personnel Employees Local 1, questioned the legitimacy of the policy, saying any assessment of fines would have to be approved by the HISD board, which he said was not the case.

What’s next:

FOX 26 has received confirmation from the district that parents who were charged a late fee can expect to receive a refund.

Houston ISDEducation