Lakeville parent urges district to revise fundraising-communications rule, citing lost PTO revenue

Catherine Staples, speaking for the Kenwood Trail PTO and on behalf of other Lakeville PTOs, asked the Lakeville Area Schools Board of Education on Sept. 23 to change the district’s rules that bar schools from sending PTO fundraising requests directly to families. Staples said the PTOs previously relied on administrators to forward clear, PTO-branded fundraiser messages to each school's contact list and that the district’s new interpretation of Minnesota’s public-purpose doctrine has stopped that practice. “The district is saying the schools cannot send fundraising requests on behalf of the PTO, citing the state of Minnesota’s public purpose doctrine as the reason,” Staples told the board. “This year, the PTO fall fundraisers across Lakeville area schools were aiming to raise over $315,000 total, but these funds are in jeopardy.” Staples said PTO funds pay for recess equipment, field trips, school events, positive-behavior rewards, teacher and staff appreciation and resource dogs. She described Kenwood Trail’s PTO as a five-person volunteer team serving roughly 900 students and staff and said limited volunteer capacity makes less-effective alternative outreach — Facebook, non‑district websites, Peachjar and small contact lists — a heavy additional burden. Staples asked the board to “immediately revisit your interpretation of this doctrine” and “amend this rule to allow schools to communicate fundraiser details, including links and progress updates to families at their school,” noting several fundraisers were already underway and closing in days. The board did not take formal action during the public-comment period. Superintendent Michael Baumann and board members did not offer a policy response on the record during the meeting; district staff said administration would follow up on individual concerns as appropriate. If trustees wish to act, the district will need to consider the legal limits of Minnesota’s public-purpose standards and whether narrower guidance to building administrators could allow limited, clearly labeled PTO requests to families without using public resources for private benefit.