Policy committee tables booster-club policy, asks administration to gather club input and renumber related policies

The Beloit School District Policy Committee on Wednesday postponed action on a proposed district booster-club policy and asked administration to gather feedback from all booster clubs before the committee considers the item again.

Committee members voted to move the proposed policy to the committee’s March meeting and to include the district’s existing policy on relations with family and school organizations so any renumbering can be done together. The motion, amended on the floor to add the related policy to the March agenda, carried on a voice vote reported as three ayes.

The proposed policy had been listed on the agenda as “Policy 881.1 District Booster Clubs.” Committee members and staff explained the number was a placeholder drawn from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) policy guide and that the numbering conflicts with an active district policy titled relations with family and school organizations. Board member Amy Levy argued the committee should not change policy numbers for an active policy that had not been noticed on the agenda and asked that the affected policies be considered together so impacted parties would be given time to respond.

District administrator Dr. Marcus Garrison told the committee he would collect questions and bring a more polished draft forward if the committee preferred additional time. Board secretary (agenda coordinator) Michelle Schope said Athletic Director Dan Gratz submitted the draft and that she assigned the WASB-recommended number as a temporary placeholder. Several committee members said they wanted Gratz and leaders from other booster clubs to attend the next meeting; Levy noted Dean Evans, identified in the meeting as a booster-club president, was in the audience and could be consulted.

Levy also raised concerns about the policy’s effective date and whether a midseason implementation could cause currently active booster clubs to lose district recognition. She asked that any outside guidance cited in the policy (she referenced “State of Wisconsin booster club guidelines”) be attached or cross-referenced in the policy so club leaders could review the standards.

The committee chair said the item will return to the policy committee on March 4 with: (1) input from all booster clubs, (2) the existing relations-with-family-school-organizations policy added to the March agenda so renumbering can be handled simultaneously, and (3) documentation referenced in the draft included for review.

The committee did not adopt the proposed policy at the meeting and took no formal disciplinary or enforcement action against any booster club.

The committee scheduled continued review at its March meeting and directed administration to contact the athletic director and affected club leaders to collect feedback and provide any referenced guidance documents.