The Lake Washington Schools Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to subsidize Advance Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) fees for low-income students in the Lake Washington School District.

The emergency funding was provided to fill a budget gap left by a change to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that ended a federal subsidy for the exam fees. That change left students on free and reduced lunch faced with paying up to $96 for each exam this year rather than $12 per exam as in past years.

“These fees are a barrier for a lot of students in our district. We’re pleased to help remove that obstacle so students can get on with the hard work of learning,” said Lake Washington Schools Foundation Executive Director Larry Wright.

For more information about how to access the subsidized test fees, parents or students can contact a school counselor.