Committee refers fundraising and raffle questions to policy subcommittee amid legal confusion

Members discussed recent legal guidance on fundraising rules and how state law treats raffles and games of chance during the Jan. 8 meeting. The policy subcommittee had circulated a memorandum from counsel that addressed GBEBC (gifts/solicitations) and JJE (student fundraising activities), but members said the document left practical questions unresolved.

A committee member noted the memorandum distinguishes “effort-based” fundraisers and games of skill from games of chance and said some neighboring districts allow student groups to run effort-based fundraisers without the same permits required for raffles. Another member raised a concern that students and staff could be barred from participating in games of chance, including buying tickets, and that language should be explicit to protect volunteers and teachers from unintended prohibitions.

“It's like we're changing the rules halfway through the school year when we've allowed it by some organizations,” one member said, urging caution. The policy subcommittee agreed to retrieve the original legal email from counsel clarifying the status of booster organizations and to table further action until the subcommittee can reconcile the memorandum with local policy manuals. The committee directed staff to return the item to subcommittee and to provide clearer draft language that spells out whether booster clubs and PTOs are treated differently and what activities students may or may not undertake.

No formal policy was adopted; the committee’s action was to refer the matter for deeper review and draft clearer policy language for a future meeting.