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Quakertown committee revisits gifts, grants and donations policy amid questions about teacher "wish lists"
Summary
Committee members discussed whether teacher wish lists, booster donations and crowdfunding fall under the district's gifts, grants and donations policy. Staff urged guardrails and a formal acceptance process so donations do not create inequities or liability issues.
The Education Committee spent extensive time discussing policy 7.02, Gifts, Grants and Donations, focusing on whether teacher "wish lists" and parent-led crowdfunding fall under the district's donations policy and how to avoid inequitable classroom resources.
The question: a board member asked whether common teacher wish-list items (books, supplies) were permitted under 7.02 after the district had communicated inconsistently about the practice. A central-office presenter said there is not a blanket ban on wish lists, but that gifts should follow district policy and guardrails should be in place. "It's not that it's not permitted. It's just that there needs to be guardrails on what is permitted," the presenter said.
Equity, liability and process concerns: Several board members and staff raised equity concerns when teachers solicit donations directly, noting inconsistent classroom libraries and donations that can create uneven student experiences. Staff recounted an example where a teacher accepted a donation of exercise equipment that created a liability exposure when a student was later injured. The presenter said the board reserves the right to refuse gifts that do not support district goals or that would adversely affect the district.
Inventory, approvals and thresholds: Committee members suggested clarifying the policy to require donors and staff to report gifts to the superintendent or the superintendent's designee and to consider a de minimis threshold (a dollar amount under which gifts could be processed informally). Staff noted the district already has a mechanism for both purchases and vetted classroom-library purchases and that the board had budgeted to supply starter classroom libraries this year.
Next steps: The committee agreed to draft suggested language changes and bring them back to the policy committee for a future meeting. Staff also said they would consider a communication strategy for parents and booster clubs about the process for donating to classrooms.
