ICHABOD CRANE 1800
DONATIONS, GIFTS, AND GRANTS TO THE DISTRICT
Unsolicited Gifts and Donations from the Public
The Board of Education welcomes and appreciates gifts and donations from the public. Gifts and donations of money, property, equipment and materials may be accepted by the Board, except that the Superintendent of Schools may accept on behalf of the Board gifts and donations having a value less than $100 dollars. This policy does not cover personal gifts to staff. See policy 2160, Code of Ethics, for guidance on that issue.
The Board reserves the right to refuse to accept any gift which does not contribute towards the achievement of the district’s goals, or the ownership of which would deplete the resources of the district. In accepting or rejecting gifts and donations, the Board will review the following factors:
- The terms of the gift must identify:
- the subject of the gift;
- the purpose of the gift;
- the beneficiary or beneficiaries if any; andall conditions or restrictions that may apply.
- The gift must not benefit a particular or named individual or individuals.
- If the purpose of the gift is an award to a single student, the determination of the recipient of such award shall be made on the basis that all students shall have an equal opportunity to qualify for it in conformance with federal and state law.
- If the gift is in trust, the obligation of the investment and reinvestment of the principal shall be clearly specified and the application of the income or investment proceeds shall be clearly set forth.
- No gift or trust will be accepted by the Board unless:
- it is in support of and a benefit to all or to a particular public school in the district; or
- it is for a purpose for which the school district could legally expend its own funds; or
- it is for the purpose of awarding scholarships to students graduating from the district.
Any gift rejected by the Board shall be returned to the donor or his/her estate within 60 days together with a statement indicating the reasons for the rejection of such gift.
Soliciting and Accepting Gifts, Grants or Donations
Prior to seeking any grant or donation, the applicant must obtain prior approval from the district. Teachers seeking grants or donations for their classroom must obtain approval from the Building Principal. Other staff or administrators seeking grants or donations to benefit an entire school or the district as a whole must obtain approval from the Superintendent or his/her designee.
Approval shall depend on factors including, but not limited to: compatibility with the district’s educational program and standards; availability of existing district resources; whether ownership would deplete district resources; and its impact on the equitable distribution of district resources.
All grants and donations must benefit the district and be congruent with the following principles:
- The district’s mission, vision, core values and beliefs.
- The district and school goals that positively impact student performance.
- The district’s instructional priorities and strategies.
- Equity in funding.
- Conform to district governance and decision-making procedures of the Board, central office and building-level staff.
- Provide a value or benefit that is greater than the obligation under the grant award.
- Not violate management and/or bargaining unit rights and responsibilities.
- Not carry any conditions that would divert school or district efforts away from the district’s primary mission.
The Board reserves the right to deny approval of solicitation of any funding or grant application which does not contribute towards the achievement of the district’s goals, or which would deplete the resources of the district. The Board may approve seeking grants which require a match of district funds or resources when the initiative has been identified as a priority by the Board and when such funds are planned as part of the district budget process or can be accommodated by the current budget.
All solicited grants and donations must be formally accepted by the Board.
Coordinating with Support Organizations
The district strongly encourages independent support organizations (e.g., booster clubs, parent-teacher associations, education foundations) seeking to make a contribution of money or property to first meet with the Superintendent to identify the terms and conditions of the proposed gift and the needs of the district. The Board must approve such gifts and donations prior to any public announcement of the contribution.
Accounting for, and Oversight of, all Donations, Gifts, and Grants
All gifts, donations, grants, funds, property, and materials received by the district become the property of the district. Such items may not be returned without the approval of the Board. All items are subject to the same controls and regulations as other district property, and shall be deposited or inventoried accordingly.
Ref: Education Law §1709(12)
Effective date: December 1, 2015