| School Board of Alachua County |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5830 - STUDENT FUND-RAISING
All fund-raising projects and activities by schools or groups within the school shall contribute to the educational and extra-curricular experiences of students and shall not be in conflict with the overall instructional program as administered by the Superintendent.
For purposes of this policy "student fund-raising" means student solicitation and collection of money for any purpose including collection of money in exchange for tickets, papers, or any other goods or services.
Money derived from any school fund-raising project or activity shall be deposited in the school's internal funds account and shall be disbursed as prescribed by Board policies and State Board of Education rules.
Each school shall continuously evaluate its fund-raising projects and extra-curricular activities of the school program, the promotion of education experiences, the time involved for students and teachers, and the additional demands made on the school community.
The determination of the fund-raising projects and activities for a school shall be the principal's responsibility. Before approving any project or activity, the principal shall require full justification of the need and explanation of the manner in which the funds will be expended. Projects and activities shall conform to the following conditions and any directives by the Superintendent.
| A. | Activities and projects shall be kept within a reasonable limit. | |
| B. | The safety and well-being of students shall be of paramount concern in considering approval of the activity. | |
| C. | Students shall be instructed to only solicit friends, neighbors, and relatives. | |
| D. | Students are not permitted to participate in door-to-door solicitation unless written approval is obtained from the Superintendent. | |
| E. | Fund-raising activities may not interfere with regular classroom hours. | |
| F. | Appropriate school personnel shall be present at any group fund-raising activity conducted off-campus (e.g., car washes, rummage sales, supermarkets, discount stores, etc.). Such activities may only be conducted at appropriate off-campus locations with the written approval of the school principal and the business organization. | |
| G. | Student participation is voluntary and parents must be notified prior to the scheduled activity. | |
| H. | Fund-raising activities which encourage parents and other patrons to come to the school are preferred, such as dinners, school carnivals, fairs, gift shops, and dramatic or musical productions. |
A parent-teacher association or any other organizations connected with the school may sponsor fund-raising activities provided school work and time are not adversely affected. Such activities shall be conducted in accordance with Board policies. Unlawful activities by any school group, or on Board property, are prohibited.
A student shall not sell raffle tickets on the school grounds during the school day. Students may not sell any other item on the school grounds without first having the principal's approval.
School organizations approved by the principal may sell food and beverage items to students in secondary schools beginning one (1) hour following the close of the last lunch period (see Policy 8510, Wellness).
Individuals and business agencies shall not be subject to excessive annoyances from the solicitation of funds by school groups or school personnel. The solicitation of funds away from school shall require the Superintendent or designee's approval. When possible, all necessary money shall be raised for school needs without recourse to any solicitation away from the school. The Superintendent shall approve a solicitation activity only when funds cannot be raised otherwise. This policy does not preclude private or volunteer contributions for athletic or other purposes.
Advisors for School Organizations
Advisors for approved school organizations shall not accept any form of compensation from vendors that might influence their selection of a vendor that will provide a fund-raising activity or a product that will be sold as a fund-raiser. Furthermore, advisors for approved school organizations shall not accept any compensation from a vendor after a decision has been made regarding a fundraising activity or a product that will be sold as a fund-raiser. In addition, advisors for approved school organizations who make the selection of a vendor that will provide a fund-raising activity or a product that will be sold as a fund-raiser shall not enter into a contractual arrangement whereby an advisor receives compensation in any form from the vendor that provides a fund-raising activity or a product that will be sold as a fund-raiser.
Such compensation includes, but is not limited to, cash, checks, stocks, or any other form of securities, and gifts such as televisions, microwave ovens, computers, discount certificates, travel vouchers, tickets, passes, and other such things of value. In the event that an advisor of an approved school organization receives such compensation, albeit unsolicited, from a vendor, the individual shall notify the Chief Financial Officer, in writing, that s/he received such compensation and shall thereafter properly transmit said compensation to the Chief Financial Officer at his/her earliest opportunity.
The Superintendent shall distribute this policy and the procedures which implement it to each student organization granted permission to solicit funds.
F.S. 1001.43
Adopted 7/17/07