Iowa Department of Education

Finally, there are some do's and don't's to pay attention to:

• DO NOT require all students to purchase an activity ticket. A district may charge for the activity ticket, but its purchase is voluntary. And because it's a voluntary purchase, waivers do not apply.
• DO have all required board policies in place. These policies must address the charging and collecting of fees for course offerings and related activities (the seven allowable fees); discretionary transportation (if a district provides discretionary transportation, say so in policy and address the fees in policy); and provisions for full, partial, and temporary waivers (with income guidelines). These policies must be given to students or families at the time of registration or enrollment. For students or families whose primary language is other than English, the school shall provide a copy of the materials in the student's native language or arrange for translation of the materials within a reasonable time.
• DO NOT use or allow a booster club or PTO, etc., to charge a fee that the district is not allowed to charge directly. For instance, a district may not charge students a fee to participate in interscholastic athletics. Therefore, a booster club may not charge any type of assessment to students to participate in interscholastic athletics. These clubs may charge voluntary membership dues (which must be truly voluntary - no one can be forced to join the club or organization), may accept donations, and may sell tangible items as fund-raisers.
• DO NOT charge a student a fee to participate in an extracurricular activity. There is dispute in the education legal community regarding whether a student may be charged the "school supply" fee for towel usage, transportation, etc. All districts should consult their local attorney about this. If a supply or transportation fee is charged, it is subject to full or partial waiver. But there is no dispute over the fact that a student is NOT to be charged a fee for the privilege of participating in an extracurricular activity.