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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The Cobb County School District (District)
recognizes concerns for the welfare of students from their entry on a school
bus or school property to their return to the bus stop or when they leave
school property. Part of that goal is not to distract students and staff
from the task of learning by activities that inappropriately encroach upon
instructional time.
Further, the District recognizes that its
public image is partially dependant upon sound fiscal management. Therefore,
revenues generated through fund raisers and/or community fund drives must
have a designated purpose which must be clearly communicated in the
dissemination of information to students, parents, and the school community.
RULE:
The Cobb County Board of Education
authorizes the superintendent and principals to act on the Board's behalf
concerning student fund-raising activities and student participation in
community agency fund drives within the guidelines set forth in this and
other applicable Administrative Rules.
Fund-raising activities may be conducted by
the school itself, by a school support organization (PTA, PTSA, Booster
Clubs, and Foundations), and/or organizations within the school, such as
performance groups, school clubs and student organizations. Regardless of
who is conducting the fund-raiser, the following guidelines apply unless
noted otherwise:
A. All fundraising
activities must comply with all Board Policies and District Rules,
procedures and guidelines including
but not limited to Financial Services and Human
Resources procedures. These Policies,
Rules, guidelines, and procedures are available
online or through the principal, the
school bookkeeper, Financial Services, and Human
Resources.
B. Assuring the prior
approval of all fund-raising activities, regardless of sponsor,
shall be the responsibility of the
local school principal. The principal’s prior approval is
also required for fund-raising
activities conducted by school support organizations.
Prior to approving a fund-raiser, the
principal or designee should evaluate the
potential financial benefit of the
fund-raiser compared to the costs it will generate in
terms of staff time and effort.
C. Schools are
prohibited from conducting door-to-door fund raising by students in
activities sponsored by the school in
which students would be selling items or
soliciting advertisements,
contributions, pledges, or orders.
D. Students may not
participate in the collection or accounting for monies received for
fund-raising purposes unless under
direct supervision of an adult.
E. Fund-raising
activities, regardless of sponsor, may not involve any student during
instructional time. Exceptions are
when students are involved in curriculum-related
exercises. Examples include
reviewing/purchasing book fair offerings, jumping rope for
Jump Rope for Heart and students
participating in a privilege, such as “hat day.” This
participation does not include the
collection of funds during instructional time.
F. No classroom
instructional/resource personnel shall be responsible for the accounting
of funds resulting from approved
fund-raising activities sponsored by school support
organizations.
G. All fund-raising
activities whether sponsored by the school, school sponsored clubs
and organizations, student
organizations, or by school support organizations must
comply with state law. The Assistant
Superintendent for Policy and Planning or
designee must be consulted if there
is any question as to the legality of an activity.
H. Requests for
exceptions to the provisions of Administrative Rule JJE must have prior
approval of the Assistant
Superintendent for Policy and Planning or designee.
I. Approved fund-raising
procedures and activities shall conform to the following:
1. PROCEDURES:
a.
CONTRACTS:
All referenced contracts must comply with the following Financial Services
requirements:
(1) Only the school principal may sign the contract on the school’s behalf;
(2) The contract may not extend beyond the principal’s contractual
employment period;
(3) The contract wording must include the statement that if the principal
leaves during the contract period, the contract is void unless signed by the
new principal; and
(4) Each contract must comply with Financial Services’ approved procurement
policies and procedures.
b. FUND RAISING
SCREENING COMMITTEE:
Principals are encouraged to establish a Fund Raising Screening Committee,
which may be composed of representatives of administration, faculty and
school
support organizations, to assist the principal with:
(1) The determination of which drives the school will support
(2) The coordination of the school’s drives with those of school support
organizations and other fund-raising/charitable activities.
2. ACTIVITIES:
a.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Refer to Administrative Rule KH (Solicitation and Advertising on School
Property).
b.
ANNUALS/YEARBOOKS:
The production of a school annual or yearbook shall be at the option of the
local school.
c. BOOK
FAIRS:
School-sponsored book fairs shall operate as an extension of the school
media
program and, therefore, may be conducted during the instructional day. The
book fair sale shall be by contract between the local school and the book
fair
company.
d. CLUBS:
The following guidelines are applicable to both school clubs and student
organizations as defined in Administrative Rule JJ (Student Activities:
Schools
Clubs and Student Organizations-Middle and High Schools):
(1) School Clubs:
(a) Dues shall be determined by the sponsor with approval of the principal.
(b) Fund-raisers sponsored by the club must be approved by the sponsor
who must then obtain the approval of the principal or designee prior to
holding the fund-raiser.
(2) Student Organizations:
(a) Sections B, C, E, F, G and H above apply to fund-raisers conducted by
student organizations.
(b) Dues shall be determined by the student leadership of the organization
(c) Fund-raisers sponsored by a student organization must be approved by
the organization’s student leadership who must obtain the approval of
the principal or designee prior to holding the fund-raiser.
(d) Funds collected and used by student organizations which are not
school clubs must not be handled as part of the school financial
procedures or accounted for through the school books.
e.
COMMUNITY AGENCY FUND DRIVES:
Schools may conduct community agency fund drives in compliance with
Financial Services’ approved policies and procedures and within the
following
guidelines:
(1) Activities involving community agency funds and drives shall be based on
and emphasize humanitarian motives. Proceeds associated with the
donation shall be for a purpose/program determined in advance and
publicized prior to the collection of funds.
(2) Door-to-door solicitations of these funds by students is prohibited.
(3) Charitable organizations shall provide the means to collect and
transport
donations unless the sponsoring employee is voluntarily willing to do so
outside his/her instructional day. Parent volunteers may also be used to
collect and/or transport donations.
(4) Drives shall not be approved which involve the collection of, or
accounting
for, funds by employees of the Cobb County School District during their
instructional day.
(5) Participation by students and/or employees is voluntary.
f.
DUES-HIGH SCHOOL CLASS:
Class dues shall be determined by the sponsor with the approval of the
principal.
g.
NEWSPAPERS:
The production of a school, grade, class newspaper shall be at the option of
the local school with the approval of the principal. No instructional time
may
be used for sales.
h.
PURCHASING CARDS/COMMITMENT CARDS:
Schools may participate in purchasing card/commitment card agreements
where the school may receive a designated percent of the monetary amount of
the purchases incurred at a participating sponsoring business:
(1) The purchasing agreements shall be by contract between the local school
and the sponsoring business.
(2) The school shall not appropriate pre-existing purchasing agreements
between school support organizations and sponsoring businesses.
i.
RECYCLING ACTIVITIES:
Recycling activities may be operated by the school, school sponsored clubs
and
organizations, student organizations, or a school support organization
as a service for students, parents, and staff.
j. SCHOOL
PICTURES:
The sale of school pictures shall be by contract between the local school
and
the photography company. Such sales shall provide to the school a minimum
of:
(1) Forty percent return for individual pictures;
(2) Twenty-five percent for group pictures and other products.
(3) Senior portraits may be excluded from percentage contracts, in order to
minimize senior expenses.
k. SCHOOL
SPIRIT ITEMS:
School spirit items may be sold to students. No instructional time may be
used
for sales.
l. SCHOOL
STORES:
School stores may be operated:
(1) As an extension of the instructional program.
(2) By the school or a school support organization as a service for
students,
parents, and staff.
m. SERVICE
PROJECTS, COMMUNITY:
Schools may participate in hands-on community service projects provided no
door-to-door solicitation is involved or instructional time used.
n. TICKETS:
Tickets for student concerts, plays or other activities shall be sold before
or
after school hours and/or during the student lunch periods.
Adopted: 7/22/82
Reclassified an Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 4/13/83; 8/8/84; 7/28/88; 6/28/90; 5/23/91; 1/23/92; 4/23/92;
12/14/94; 5/29/97; 1/22/98; 5/28/98; 5/25/00;9/21/00; 5/11/05; 1/26/06;
2/14/07 |