Policy committee tables booster-club policy after members raise numbering, notice and outreach concerns

The Beloit School District Policy Committee voted to move discussion of a proposed District Booster Clubs policy to the committee's March 4 meeting after members said the proposal used a policy number already assigned to a different active policy and that affected booster clubs had not been given time to review the draft.

Committee members said they want the district to renumber the proposed booster-club policy and bring forward the existing policy on relations with family-school organizations at the same time so the committee can consider both changes together. Board member Amy Levy told the committee that a policy already titled relations with family-school organizations uses the same number (881.1) and that the committee could not legally take action on that existing policy tonight because it was not noticed on the agenda. “Since the current policy is not on the agenda, we can't address that this evening,” Levy said.

The chair and district staff explained the numbering was chosen as a placeholder based on the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) policy guide, which lists booster-club guidance under 881.1. Mrs. Schope, the board secretary, said Athletic Director Dan Gratz submitted the draft and asked staff to pull sample language; she added that few neighboring districts have formal booster-club policies and that she placed the WASB number as a suggested placeholder. “He had no idea what number to give it,” Schope said, describing the choice as a temporary measure to get the item on the agenda.

Several board members said they want direct input from booster-club leadership before moving a policy that could affect clubs midseason. Levy listed booster clubs that would be affected — gridiron (football), Beloit girls basketball, band, swim, hockey and the BMHS Booster Club — and said Dean Evans, president of the BMHS Booster Club, was in the audience. Members expressed concern that the draft policy could take effect as soon as March 4 if advanced and that midseason compliance requirements could leave active teams unacknowledged by the district.

District Administrator Dr. Garrison said administration would collect committee questions and bring a more polished proposal back to the committee and that Athletic Director Gratz would be asked to solicit input from the various booster clubs. The committee amended the motion to include bringing forward the existing relations-with-family-school-organizations policy so renumbering could be handled in one step.

The committee voted to move the booster-club policy to the March 4 policy committee meeting with the agreed amendment; members recorded the motion as carried unanimously.

The policy will return to the committee on March 4 with renumbering options and with direct feedback from booster-club leadership; the committee asked staff to make the draft policy available to each booster-club leadership team before that meeting.