ICHABOD CRANE 1222
RELATIONSHIP WITH BOOSTER ORGANIZATIONS
The Board of Education recognizes that extracurricular support groups, or “booster” organizations, provide important support to district schools, and can be a valuable means of stimulating community interest in the aims and activities of district schools. Booster organizations may be defined in two ways:
- an organization which is created to foster community support and raise funds for a specific extracurricular activity (e.g., athletics, speech and debate, and/or musical groups); or
- an organization which is created to foster community support and raise funds for the school’s general extracurricular program.
Parents and other interested members of the community who wish to organize a booster club for the purpose of supporting a specific school program are encouraged to do so, as long as the activities of such organizations do not interfere unduly with the total educational program, or disrupt district operations in any way. To this end, booster organizations must follow these guidelines:
- membership in the organization must be voluntary;
- submit an activity schedule in advance to the Superintendent of Schools or designee for prior approval (Any time the booster club uses the name of the school district, or any language suggesting that the district has endorsed, sponsored or otherwise approved of the club’s activities, there must be prior approval by the Superintendent.);
- seek advance approval for any use of school facilities and/or equipment, following the policy and procedures outlined in policy 1500, Public Use of School Facilities and its accompanying regulation;
- avoid interference with the decision-making of any student group;
- understand and respect the authority of district employees in the administration of their duties; and
- assume all financial responsibility for their organization, including but not limited to the provision of adequate insurance coverage, as appropriate.
If a booster organization wishes to make a contribution of money, service time, or tangible property (e.g., equipment or supplies), a representative of the organization should first meet with the Superintendent. The Superintendent must identify the district’s terms and conditions of accepting such gifts, and seek the Board’s official approval before accepting or publicly announcing any contribution.
Booster-proposed plans, projects and other activities must be evaluated and promoted in light of their stated contribution to the academic as well as the extra-curricular school programs. Careful consideration should be given to the total value of the contribution to all students, and not just to specific student groups.
Cross-ref: 1500, Public Use of School Facilities
1800, Gifts from the Public
Effective Date: January 8, 2019