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School committee seeks legal clarity on proposed ban on student-run raffles; schedules follow-up
Summary
At a Feb. 10, 2026 policy-review meeting, the school committee debated draft language that would bar students and student groups from organizing raffles and games of chance; members asked MASC and the district attorney for legal backing and agreed to revisit the item at the Feb. 24 meeting.
The School Committee convened on Feb. 10, 2026, for a scheduled five-year policy review and spent significant time on proposed revisions to policy JJIE on student fundraising activities, debating whether language that would bar student-run raffles and certain competitions is required by state law.
Committee member (Speaker 3) said MASC attorneys had advised that “students and student groups are barred by state law and regulation from organizing raffles or games of chance,” language that the draft policy incorporates. Another committee member (Speaker 4) said they could not locate a matching Massachusetts General Law provision and urged the committee to identify the specific statutory citation before finalizing restrictive language.
Why it matters: The proposed wording would substantially restrict common school fundraisers—raffles, games of chance, and individual student prize competitions—and could affect year-end class activities, booster-driven events and some PTO fundraisers if legal counsel confirms the interpretation. Administrators at the high school reported concern about implementation and current fundraising practices, and said larger or questionable fundraisers are already routed through the business office for review.
What the committee decided: Members asked staff to get a clarified legal opinion. The committee agreed to ask MASC (via Alicia) for the basis of its recommendation and directed staff or the attorney to determine what the district may lawfully change. The committee kept the item on the agenda and scheduled it for follow-up on Feb. 24. One committee member urged holding off on notifying outside volunteer groups until the legal position is clear so families and PTOs are not unnecessarily alarmed.
Other points from the discussion: Committee members proposed narrower language that would restrict competitions that award prizes to individual students while allowing class-wide incentives or non-prize competitions. A district administrator noted that local practice already limits some fundraisers by routing them through the business office and that only a small number of large fundraisers have been denied.
Votes at a glance: The committee did not adopt final policy language on JJIE at this meeting; it voted to continue discussion and return with legal guidance at the Feb. 24 meeting.
Next steps: Staff will request (1) MASC to identify the legal basis for its recommended wording, and (2) the district attorney to advise what language is legally required versus what is discretionary. The committee will revisit JJIE at its Feb. 24 meeting.
