A $5 mandatory fee at a Mobile County elementary school was withdrawn after parents complained and a school board member said the requirement violated Alabama law.
Pearl Haskew Elementary in Irvington told parents Tuesday morning that they did not have to pay the fee.
A flyer posted last month described the $5 charge as required for every student and said it would help pay for first-aid supplies and mailing report cards. Alabama law governing incidental fees in elementary schools states that no fees may be collected from children in the first six grades, though voluntary contributions are allowed.
School board member Johnny Hatcher said he received about 60 complaints from parents and questioned the stated purpose of the fee.
A review of 46 elementary schools in the district found that 17 listed registration or school fees in back-to-school posts. Old Shell Road listed the highest total, including a $35 art fee and a $10 school fee.
A district spokesperson said schools mail the final report card of the year to families, and administrators at one school said a $10 registration fee was not required. Hatcher said he plans to raise the issue at the next school board meeting and is calling for a district-wide review of elementary school fees.