Policy Committee members on Oct. 20 discussed a new districtwide advocacy and fundraising policy and the district's fledgling foundation, which has drawn public comment and media attention. Committee members urged collaboration between the board and community groups to make fundraising efforts more transparent and to avoid further division.

Board Vice Chair Michelle DePass said she intends to support board decisions and asked community members to engage constructively: "it's my intention to support board decisions even if a vote has happened in the past that wasn't one I voted on. I plan to support the board decision because that is that's the goal." DePass said the fund is seeking school liaisons at every school and encouraged community participation.

Why it matters: Committee members and speakers said the recent debate over a district fund highlighted larger disagreements about inequities in resources and the district's reliance on external fundraising to support student opportunities. Several committee members urged the public to focus on the underlying issue: inadequate state funding for public education.

Committee member (speaker) 3 observed that whether the amount raised is $500,000 or $3 million, it remains a small fraction of a much larger state and district funding gap: "it's a drop in the bucket of an $11,000,000,000 budget," the speaker said, urging legislators and the community to focus on broader funding solutions.

Several members said they regretted the divisive public reaction and called for deeper community engagement during policy development. Board members said they would seek better outreach and clearer communication so school communities feel heard and can participate in shaping the fund and any related policies.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to continue public engagement on the districtwide advocacy and fundraising policy and to ensure communications include opportunities for school-level liaisons and broader community input. There was no committee vote to change the policy at the meeting.