Pennridge students billed in error for hundreds of dollars in fall classes. What happened

Parents of Pennridge students were in sticker shock Thursday after mistakenly receiving a bill charging hundreds of dollars for classes this fall.

An email went out to parents Thursday night with an invoice from MySchoolBucks — a third-party software company used by several area school districts to handle school-related payments — showing Pennridge students were being charged $750 for the upcoming semester.

The invoice detailed fees for two dual enrollment classes with Bucks County Community College on human sexuality and psychological techniques of stress management.

After receiving numerous complaints, the school district’s technology department immediately investigated the matter, and by Friday morning, informed parents the invoices had been sent out in error.

“Parents mistakenly received an invoice and charges for two dual-enrollment classes. This message was sent in error and has since been removed from the system. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience,” the district stated on its website and in an email to families.

The notification went on to say the invoices have been removed, but parents should reach out to the district IT department if they come across any suspicious charges on their accounts by emailing parentportal@pennridge.org .

David Thomas, communications and public relations coordinator for Pennridge School District, said the matter was an isolated mistake within the district, which they worked swiftly to remedy.

“It was an internal issue that’s been resolved within an hour of looking into it. It wasn’t a hack or a bigger issue like that,” said Thomas. He also noted if anyone did pay the errant invoice before it was removed, they should reach out directly to the school district for a refund.

Pennridge School District news: Two Pennridge board members ordered books removed from schools, court documents say

Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, food and drink, economic revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennridge students billed in error for hundreds of dollars in fall classes. What happened