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Middleton board unveils draft booster-club framework to require accountability for fundraisers
Summary
The board reviewed a draft framework that would require booster clubs and other parent fundraising groups to route donations either through school accounts or the Middleton Education Foundation to improve transparency and donor protections.
The Middleton School District Board of Trustees reviewed a draft booster-club framework that would set minimum requirements for parent groups and booster organizations that solicit donations for district programs. The draft calls for fundraising entities that advertise they are raising money "for Middleton" or for a named school program to either manage funds through a district account or through the Middleton Education Foundation, the district said.
District staff said the proposal is intended to provide transparency for donors and to make it possible for the district to demonstrate how funds were used. Under the draft framework, booster clubs that raise money for teams, band, clubs or other district-recognized programs would need principal or athletic-director authorization for advertising and would submit an annual report detailing total funds raised and expenditures.
Administrators said the Middleton Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that can accept tax-deductible gifts and provide accounting support; staff described affiliation with the foundation as a preferred structure because it offers established procedures and tax benefits. The draft also calls for principals and athletic directors to serve as local gatekeepers so school leaders know when groups are soliciting on campus or through school channels.
Board members asked how the district would handle noncompliance and were told the framework would include noncompliance steps and that the policy/procedure package would specify enforcement. Trustees also discussed how volunteer-run initiatives that sell T-shirts or run small raffles among participating families would differ from community fundraisers soliciting the broader public; staff said the framework targets fundraisers that solicit outside donors or use district branding.
Administrators said the draft is an initial framework that will be converted into policy and procedures and then follow the district's policy-adoption process, beginning with a first reading. The board did not adopt a final policy during the meeting; the item remains under development.
