FAQs About Fees

Many of the questions you may have regarding fees are answered below. Please contact us if you still have questions regarding fees.

Q: Do I need to buy the a new polo every year?

A: Once your child buys a Band Polo, they may use it for their entire time they are a part of the Bammel Band program. We have created a new design to reflect the changes made to The School for International Studies at Bammel, however we will allow students that have our former design to continue using their shirts. The only reason a student will need to buy a new polo is if their shirt becomes too small or damaged. 

If you would like to purchase a blue band polo with our new design you are more then welcome to. 

Q: I already bought my older child a Band Polo when they were at Bammel. Can my younger child use the same shirt?

A: Possibly! The band polo was redesigned for this school year to reflect changes made to the campus. New polos will be made from a different material and have the updated design. For informal performances, students are welcome to use either the new or old polo. However if we have a formal performance students will need the new polo. We can allow students to borrow a polo for our extra inventory if they are available, however shirts need to be returned or students will be asked to buy the polo. If there are multiple children from a family in the program at the same time, each child active in our program will need their own shirt.

Q: My child already has a blue collared shirt. Why do I need to pay $25 for your shirt? That seems steep.

A: Our polos are made from a high quality performance material that will last for the entire time your child is in our program. It is custom embroidered with our logo (shown above) and cannot be purchased anywhere else. This shirt is used for public performances and on field trips as well. This shirt is our informal uniform and failing to have this shirt means that your student isn't in uniform. We sell our shirts at cost meaning we do not make any profits off them. We buy them for $25 each from the manufacturer and that is what we charge you. At this time it is not possible to order shirts directly from the manufacturer, however this is an option we will explore in the future if it becomes available. 

Q: What do I do if my student runs out reeds or other supplies?

A: If a student is a single reed player (ex. Clarinet and Saxophone) they will have two options to get new reeds. They may either go to Music and Arts/H&H on their own and purchase a new box of reeds, or they may bring money to the band hall and purchase individual reeds for $3 each from the directors. Double reed players will primarily talk to the band directors to purchase reeds. The reason for this is our private lessons staff have the ability to make Oboe and Bassoon reeds by hand that are not only better in quality, but in some cases better in price as well. Also due to the cost of these reeds the band directors help sponsor a portion of the cost to assist families. 

Q: I have multiple children in band at the same time. Do I really need to pay a fee for each child?

A: Yes, however the band directors are more than willing to work with families that are in need of financial assistance with these matters. Arrangements will be made on a case by case basis. If you are in need of financial aid with fees please contact the band directors to discuss the situation as soon as possible.

Q: What if I can’t pay? What are the consequences for not paying?

A: If your family is experiencing hardships, please communicate that to the directors as soon as possible. We have worked with families in the past to create payment plans, waive partial fees, or waive total fees as situations dictate. 

Students that fail to pay their balances without communicating hardship are in jeopardy of being ineligible to attend extracurricular trips. We do not want to keep students from attending trips with us, but their education comes first and the payment of fees goes toward their band education. A student will never be forbidden from participating in academic actives, including concerts, contests, and competitions for failing to pay their fees.

Q: If we have to pay band fees, why does my child have to fundraise?

A: Only a portion of our program is funded by the Supply Fee. The remaining funding comes from fundraising. Students are encouraged to fundraise, however no student is required to fundraise. Fundraising is not a replacement for paying the $45 fee. Both are critical towards ensuring our program has the necessary funds to give our students the best possible experience at the lowest cost for parents. When a student fails to turn in fundraising money, it is the equivalent of stealing from the band program. We have to pay for every box of chocolate we order whether we sell it or not. Students that fail to turn in their fundraising money will not be allowed to fundraise in the future, or attend extracurricular trips until their balance is paid off.

Q: What happens if every student paid their fees and outstanding balances?

A: We realistically understand that 100% of students will not pay their fees. Our program goal is 80%. As previously mentioned, we have to pay for the items we provide, or sell to students whether students turn their money in or not. Often times the “profit” from fundraising is necessary just to break even from uncollected fees. 

However, when all, or even just most of the outstanding fees are collected, we can turn around and use any "profit" from fundraising to provide additional opportunities to students such as lowering the cost of extracurricular field trips that are not covered in the Supply Fee cost. 

Bammel MS Band is a non-profit organization and will always use funds that would otherwise be referred to as "profit" from fundraisers to improve student experience in and outside of our classroom. Our goal is to reduce costs where we can. We cannot do it when our students have unpaid balances. We will never use supply fees to pay for extracurricular activities, only "profits" from fundraising as long as enough fees have been paid to allow the extra funds to be applied towards extracurricular activities.