Committee flags need for written donations and sponsorship policy as district readies to accept larger gifts

Stratford School District staff told the Policy Review Committee on Nov. 20 that the district is seeing a rise in donation offers but does not yet have a written donations policy to guide acceptance, acknowledgment and potential restrictions.

“As the district is getting more opportunities to accept donations,” a staff presenter told the committee, “our past practice has always been that if the donation accumulated over 1000 dollars, it would go before the board for approval, but it's actually not written anywhere as a policy.” Committee members began debating whether the district should refuse donations from certain types of businesses (for example, liquor retailers, adult-entertainment businesses or cannabis dispensaries) or accept anonymous gifts, and whether some donations should route to district-wide funds rather than to a particular school.

Members noted the district already has advertising‑sponsorship language that prohibits promotion of controlled substances, alcohol, tobacco and firearms; several members suggested drafting a distinct donations policy while keeping sponsorship rules in parallel. Staff also raised logistical questions: small, in‑kind gifts such as backpacks from churches are generally accepted at the building level, but larger donations often need clearer processing and review. Committee members recommended sending draft donation policy language to the communications and legal teams, and forming a small task force to return recommended language to the committee at a subsequent meeting.

The discussion included a practical prompt: the committee was told it may receive a significant donation the coming week and should have policy language to guide acceptance and any necessary board review. The committee did not adopt a final donations policy at this meeting; instead, members asked staff to develop a proposed policy, consult attorneys, and return with recommended language.