Iowa2026Active
HF1
Allowing Nonpublic School Students to Join Public School Sports
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:29 AM
In one sentence
This law requires public school districts in Iowa to let students from nonpublic schools join their sports teams if the student lives nearby, an agreement is made, and the sport is not offered by the student's own school.
What it does
- Requires public school boards to allow local nonpublic school students to play on public school athletic teams immediately for any contest or competition provided by the district but not by the nonpublic school.
- Allows nonpublic school students living in a neighboring (contiguous) district to join a public school team if that sport is not offered at their own school or home district, pursuant to an agreement.
- Mandates an agreement between the public school board and the authorities of the nonpublic school before participation begins.
- Requires parents or guardians of participating nonpublic students to pay any fees charged for participation, but limits those fees to no more than what is charged to public school district students.
- States that these new players do not count toward a public school's size when determining its athletic classification level.
Who it affects
- Students enrolled in nonpublic schools who live within or next to (contiguous) the public school district offering the sport.
- Public school boards of directors responsible for approving participation agreements and setting fees.
- Parents or guardians of the participating students regarding fee payments.
- Organizations that classify public schools for athletic competition.
Limits and unknowns
- Participation only happens if an agreement is signed between the two schools.
- This law applies only to sports or activities not already provided by the student's nonpublic school (and for neighboring districts, also not provided by their home district).
- The bill does not specify how much money a public district might lose from fees collected.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Nonpublic school
- A school not part of the government-run public school system, as referenced in the bill regarding student enrollment.
- Contiguous district
- A school district located directly next to another district with a shared border.
- Classification
- The size category assigned to a public school for sports competition, which cannot include the count of these participating nonpublic students.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
A bill for an act relating to the eligibility of students enrolled in nonpublic schools to compete in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions provided by public schools, and including effective date provisions.(See HF 189 .)