North Houston parents question $1-per-minute late pickup fee at elementary school

Two mothers from North Houston are questioning a policy at Herrera Elementary School 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 the parents say they have never encountered. 

What we know:

Lydia Alaniz, whose child and nephew attend Herrera Elementary on the Northside, said she was given a form outlining the policy after picking up the children late one day. According to the document, student dismissal is at 3 p.m., and late fees apply after 3:30 p.m.

The form states, "Student dismissal is at 3 p.m. As outlined in their handbook, late fees will be charged to families remaining after 3:30." The charge is $1 per minute per child. For two children picked up 31 minutes late, Alaniz was charged $62. 

Copy of late fee document given to a parent at Herrera Elementary School after picking their child up late.

Alaniz tells FOX 26 that the school’s pickup line often makes it challenging for parents to collect their children before 3:30 p.m. 

"Even if you’re there on time, the pickup line will make it hard for most parents to get their kids before 3:30," she said. She also showed us a similar payment notice from August, where she owed $24. 

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. 

"It’s not in their school budget to pay for extra time for the kids who are late," Alaniz recalled the staff explaining. 

Bianca Alaniz, Lydia’s sister-in-law and a fellow parent at Herrera Elementary, shared similar concerns. 

"I think it’s crazy that they want to charge starting after 3:30," Bianca said. "If you go in line after 3:30, the line is still blocks down the street."

The policy has drawn criticism from Hector Mireles, president of Texas Support Personnel Employees Local 1, who questioned its legitimacy. 

"Any assessment of fines has to be HISD board-approved," Mireles said. "This, I guarantee, has never been brought to the board for approval. I don’t think any board in their right mind would approve this."

What we don't know: 

FOX 26 has reached out to HISD for an explanation of this policy for regular class dismissal. Some schools in the district with after-school programs that come with a fee have similar documents about late payments, but not for daily dismissal. 

The Source: Information provided by concerned parents of Herrera Elementary students. 

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