Parent warns fundraising rules could trigger First Amendment challenges; district plans listening sessions

A member of the public told the Bend‑LaPine Administrative SD 1 Board of Directors on July 7 that proposed fundraising and gift policies should be narrowed to apply ‘‘inward’’ rather than attempt to regulate outside organizations, warning broad language could raise First Amendment concerns and be difficult to administer.

Catherine Skondin, who signed up to speak online, told the board: "I think trying to control the actions and activities of organizations and individuals not employed by the district is just going to lead to a lot more anger, conflict, and potential litigation because you're gonna run into 1st Amendment issues." She also criticized what she described as the administrability of parts of the draft policy, noting there is no de minimis exception, no periodic reporting framework, and that the current draft could require donors to complete forms for small or routine contributions.

Superintendent Dr. Stephen Cook responded that the district is continuing stakeholder engagement and has completed the fundraising request form previously in draft (referred to in the meeting as KMC‑AR). "This form is now complete, so we are going to be pushing it out for feedback... We are also working with several different groups, including our equity coalition, as mentioned our PTOs and booster clubs to gather additional feedback before we bring these policies back for future adoption," Cook said.

Cook described recent two‑hour meetings with parents and PTO representatives and listed upcoming listening sessions the district announced in the meeting (Cook named July 14, Aug. 3 and Aug. 11 as dates for additional sessions). Several board members echoed appreciation for parent volunteers and urged continued engagement to refine policy language.

The discussion did not produce a policy vote; instead, the board directed staff to continue outreach and return the policies after further community input.