Fees & Funding

Beyond our important fees, PLEASE consider donating to make more things possible for our students! Thank you 🙂.
www.cmsstrings.org/donate


Fairshare Fee: ALL Covington music students are required to pay a $30.00 Fairshare Fee. This fee helps cover individual needs for the strings program such as: district fees, region fees, UIL fees, solo and ensemble judges, clinicians and master classes, student rewards and incentives, method books, locks, extra activities for the students, etc. You may pay this fee directly or use fundraising profits.

Instrument Fee: Any student that does not rent/purchase their own instrument will be charged an Instrument Fair Share Fee of $50.00 per year. This allows students to take home a “school-owned” instrument every day. With the increasing cost of maintaining instruments in playing condition, these fees will be used for repair purposes. Students will not be allowed to take home school-owned instruments unless this fee is paid or parents/guardians have spoken with Mr. Hall to discuss alternate payment plans or other options. Please note that the Instrument Fairshare Fee does not cover theft or major damage. Students and parents will be responsible for the replacement of an instrument if lost or damaged beyond repair.

Instrument Insurance: Students are solely responsible for damage or theft of a school-owned instrument. Unlike store-rented instruments, school instrument are not covered by insurance. Therefore, instrument insurance is highly recommended and it is up to you to have the instrument insured. Consider adding your instrument to your homeowners insurance policy.

Renting Instruments: A good option for you and your student is to rent your instrument from Westbank String Shop, TerraNova, String and Horn Shop, or any local music store. This option will give your student the opportunity to have an instrument that can be taken home without having to pay fees and fill out paperwork with the director. It is crucial that you include Mr. Hall in the decision of which instrument to rent; it is his job to help you find a quality instrument and avoid certain bad instruments. Please call the Orchestra Hall at 841-3724 or e-mail jeffrey.hall@austinisd.org for any questions relating to instruments, rentals, and fees.

Fundraising: The Orchestra/Classical Guitar program depends on the support of its family and community. All orchestra students are highly encouraged to participate in the annual orchestra fundraisers. Student profits from the fundraisers will go toward each student’s end-of-year orchestra contest and trip. Also, money can be used toward supplies such as replacement strings, bows, cases, rosin, music, and books. Please note that if a student is no longer a part of the Covington Orchestra program, he/she will forfeit the use of orchestra fundraising money. Also, money from profit cannot be turned over to the student or his/her family.

IF YOU CANNOT PAY FAIRSHARE FEES please contact Mr. Hall in person, via e-mail, or phone to find a solution. Remember, Mr. Hall will never let the issue of money keep a student from succeeding in the Covington FAA Orchestra Program! There are the options of talking to Mr. Hall, payment plans, participating in fundraisers, and in some cases volunteering in order to pay off class fees. If no effort is made, however, by the parent or student to pay or contact Mr. Hall about options, then that student will not be allowed to use a school-owned instrument and we must find them a different class.

IF A STUDENT OWES ANY MONEY to the Orchestra Program, it is school policy that they will be put on an “Obligation List.” This list will prevent students that owe money to the school or school organizations from participating in some field trips, extracurricular events, school dances, and will also result in the administration withholding their report cards. WHEN TURNING IN MONEY LATE, PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH. Pay with Check, Money Order, or School Cash Online.

Please make guitar payments with cash, checks, or School Cash Online. Checks should be made payable to “CMS Strings,” and please include your child’s name in the memo portion. WITH CASH, PLEASE DO NOT BRING COINS. All money turned in is non-refundable!

RECEIPTS: When you make a payment to a teacher or volunteer, it is CRUCIAL that you ask for a receipt.  If you do not receive a receipt, please keep your payment.  Without a receipt, it is not possible to determine whether or not the payment was made.


Credit Card Payments – School Cash Online
Covington MS has made it easy for parents to make FUNDRAISER, TRIP AND CLASS FEE payments from the convenience of their own home!
¡Ahora Covington MS ha hecho más fácil para los padres de familia para efectuar los pagos en chocolates, cuotas, nuestro viajes y bajo la comodidad de su propia casa!

Follow these 3 easy steps below to get started!
¡Solo siga los siguientes 3 pasos para empezar!
Go to the address: https://austinisd.schoolcashonline.com/Home/SignIn
Take a few minutes to register and add your child to the newly created account. Tome unos cuantos minutos para registrar y agregar a su hijo en la nueva cuanta creada
Review and purchase your child’s back to school items using direct online payment. Revise y haga sus compras de regreso a la escuela para su hijo usando un pago directo por internet.

Click on the link to watch the video on how to sign up: https://vimeo.com/133141615

Check Payments
Please make orchestra payments with cash or checks. Checks should be made payable to “CMS Strings,” and please include your child’s name in the memo portion. With cash, please do not bring change. All money turned in is non-refundable!


Payment Clarification


School Payments (CMS Strings Account)
Fairshare Fees
Instrument Fairshare Fees
Trip Payments
Fundraisers
Donations

Covington Strings Booster Organization (CSBO)
Membership Fees
T-shirts
Donations

School Payments can be made with cash (no change!),
checks (“CMS strings”), or credit card (school cash online) and MUST be given directly to Mr. Hall.

Booster Club payments can be made by Venmo (@CovingtonStrings) or PayPal (Covingtonstringsbo@gmail.com). You can also pay by cash or check (made to CSBO) to the Booster lock box (in the Orchestra room) or to any Booster Club officer.