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School board tables trap-team gun-raffle fundraiser until March 3
Summary
The Byron Public School District board heard a proposal for a trap-team fundraiser that would award firearms in a raffle; after questions about appropriateness, liability and permitting, a board member moved to table the proposal until the March 3 meeting for further review.
The Byron Public School District board on Monday heard a presentation about a proposed trap-team fundraiser that would raffle firearms as prizes but voted to table the proposal until its March 3 meeting.
Presenter Chad Finley described the event as a ‘‘gun bingo’’ style fundraiser with $100 presale tickets, multiple bingo rounds and background checks and registration handled on site by the firearms supplier. ‘‘You’ll get 10 bingo cards ... the winner of the bingo game would get whatever gun is assigned to that round of bingo,’’ the presenter said, adding the supplier would perform background checks and registration for winners.
Several board members said they supported the team and its fundraising needs but raised concerns about the school formally sponsoring an event that awards firearms. One board member said gun violence is a leading cause of death for children in the country and said the district is ‘‘in a building full of kids that have done active shooter drills their entire lives.’’ The board member recommended if the board were to permit a raffle, it should limit prizes to sport-appropriate shotguns and require safe-storage measures such as gun locks.
Superintendent (presenting district guidance) said the district’s attorney had reviewed procedures and warned that raffle and gambling permits and other statutory requirements apply regardless of the prize. ‘‘It’s here’s the process and here’s what you have to do,’’ the superintendent said, emphasizing permitting and legal compliance.
After discussion about the optics, legal permits, safe-storage safeguards and whether a booster or outside group should run similar fundraising instead of the district, a board member moved to table the item until the March 3 meeting to allow review of the lawyer’s guidance and to give the board time to consider alternatives; the motion was seconded and the board voted to table the fundraiser.
The board did not take further action on the fundraiser at the meeting; the item will be placed on the March 3 agenda for possible action.
