Superintendent Michael Mansfield wants the Dunkirk City School District to either raise its tuition, or do away with offering it entirely.

Mansfield discussed what the district charges for students who live outside its boundaries, during a recent Board of Education meeting. He showed that the Dunkirk school district charges far below what the Bemus Point, Fredonia and Southwestern school districts charge.

The city school district charges $850 a year for high school students and $750 per year at the elementary school. According to the statistics Mansfield showed on a slide, Bemus Point charges $2,200 for secondary school tuition and $1,700 for the elementary school. Fredonia charges $4,249 for its secondary school and $2,962 for elementary schools. At Southwestern, it’s $3,970 for both elementary and secondary school tuition payers.

Whether the rate is raised or tuition is eliminated entirely, Mansfield advocates grandfathering in students who currently pay tuition at the school district, so they can complete their education there.

“As long as we grandfather people in, I have no issue going up to where Bemus Point is for a start,” commented Board of Education President Kenneth Kozlowski.

The Dunkirk school district currently has nine students paying tuition. It was reported that some of their parents are delinquent in tuition payments.

“We really like the fact people want to come to our district, but at the same time, we have to be responsible to our taxpayers,” Mansfield said.