Parents Urge Reversal of Districtfundraising Platform Decision; Board Agrees to Discuss Policy

Parents of students at Brookhaven and Mountain View elementary schools told the Monongalia County Board of Education on June 24 that a recent administrative decision barring use of the Boosterthon fundraising platform will sharply cut school fundraising and asked the board to explain and reconsider the change.

At a public comment period, Kendra Belen, president of the Brookhaven parent group, said Boosterthon brings her school about $30,000 per event and that an alternative platform the district has suggested, CheddarUp, typically raises about $5,000 "from their website." Belen said Boosterthon provides staff support, character-education lessons and automated deposits, while CheddarUp "is basically a payment collection site like PayPal." She asked the board for a public vote if the change was indeed a board decision.

The parents' appeals prompted a board member to move that the topic be added to the July 8 meeting agenda for formal discussion of the district policy that governs crowdsourcing. A second was recorded, and board leadership said they would place the policy item on the July 8 agenda.

Why this matters: Parents and volunteer PTOs said losing access to Boosterthon would force smaller school volunteer groups to run multiple lower-return fundraisers and could reduce enrichment activities such as field trips, science center visits and classroom supports. Parents also sought transparency about who authorized the change.

Details from parents and PTO volunteers:

- Kendra Belen, Brookhaven parent group president: "We've earned $30,000 with Boosterthon every year. CheddarUp fundraisers raise on average about over $5,000. That's not speculation. That's from their website." She added Boosterthon provides prizes, staff support and automatic deposits while CheddarUp holds funds until a manual transfer is requested.

- Rebecca Aranda, Mountain View PTO volunteer: "We know that there are a total of 6 schools in Monongalia County using this. That's far and away a majority of the schools, and we're using this as our primary fundraiser." She said her school also raised about $30,000 this year and that parents repeatedly contacted the administration with no substantive response.

- Megan McCall (PTO volunteer, Mountain View): "We are really struggling. We just don't have the help to do fundraisers... If we lose the ability to do the fun run, I feel like there's even a chance that our PTO may not even exist in the future." She said her schoolraised $44,000 in a spring event and received over $34,000 deposited to the PTO account.

Board response and next steps:

A board member moved to add the item to the July 8 agenda so the board can address the specific board policy governing crowdsourcing and fundraising platforms. The motion was seconded and the board said it would place the policy item on the July 8 agenda. Board members cautioned that public comment is not an opportunity for board members to debate or answer questions during the meeting under the districtpublic participation policy.

What the transcript cites: Monongalia County Schools board policy 0169 (public participation at board meetings) was read aloud at the start of the public comment period; speakers were told the board will not answer questions during public comment. The transcript also contains speakers' references to the "sunshine law" and to communications parents said they had made to administration.

Less-critical context: Parents said Boosterthon also provides lessons tied to character education and that more than half of donations come from outside Monongalia County, which parents said helps reduce pressure on local families. Parents asked for transparency and, at minimum, a public explanation of who authorized the change.

Ending: The board did not vote to reinstate any fundraising platform that evening; instead members agreed to place discussion of the relevant crowdsourcing/fundraising policy on the July 8 agenda for further consideration.