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North Attleborough Public Schools accept $32,500 for athletics and temporarily waive advertising restriction
Summary
District officials voted unanimously to accept $32,500 in corporate donations for athletic and band programs and to temporarily suspend Policy KCD so donors may be recognized on a new scoreboard; officials said the funds are a small portion of a much larger athletic shortfall.
North Attleborough Public Schools officials voted to accept $32,500 in donations from five local companies and to temporarily suspend a district policy that limits advertising so the donors can be acknowledged on a new scoreboard.
The donations, solicited over the summer, come from Bridal Heating and Cooling; Preferred Insurance Financial Solutions (noted as Horace Mann); WealthBridge Legacy Partners; Paul Davis Restoration; and Stratea. "We ended up soliciting donations, totaling $32,500 to be used to support our athletic and band programs," Speaker 1 said during the meeting.
The giving will be paired with recognition on the district's recently installed scoreboard, including signage and digital imagery, officials said. Speaker 1 noted that Policy KCD "prohibits, quote, any extensive advertising or promotion" for businesses or special-interest groups and asked the body to temporarily suspend that policy for these five gifts. Speaker 1 added the policy will be reviewed later as part of a MASC policy review.
The board took two formal votes. On a motion to accept the donations, the body voted in favor; the motion passed with a 6-0 tally. The board then voted to temporarily suspend Policy KCD for the five donations; that motion also passed with no nays or abstentions recorded in the transcript.
Officials also clarified administrative controls tied to the contributions. Speaker 2 said the athletic director "would approve every uniform purchase now going forward," noting prior booster-club arrangements. Speaker 1 cautioned that the new gifts are only a partial solution: "This is not nearly enough ... we have a massive deficit in our athletic program," Speaker 1 said, emphasizing that more work will be needed over the next several years.
The votes and the temporary policy suspension were recorded as unanimous in the meeting transcript. The policy review referenced by officials will determine whether the advertising restriction should be amended for future donations or recognition programs.
