By Joseph Schultz
Fund-raising activities came under scrutiny at Monday night’s meeting of the Wayland Union Board of Education.
The board raised questions after learning that a group had used a Wayland Union “character” for a trip fund-raiser that the administration had no knowledge of.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations Leslie Wagner explained that district policy requires a school group to obtain approval from the school administration. Groups must submit a form stating their fund-raising goal, whether any district funds are already committed, and the name of the staff member in charge.
Once the form is signed off by the principal or department administrator, Wagner would review the request to ensure the group had the necessary licenses and that there were no scheduling conflicts. Approval or denial was mostly determined by the calendar because it’s the district’s policy not to overlap fund-raising activities.
However, a “loophole” allows outside groups and organizations to conduct fund-raising activities and then donate the proceeds to school groups or teams. Direct donations from organizations are not prohibited by current policy.
Board member Becky Hohnke expressed concern about the volume of fund-raisers. It was noted that Gun Lake Casino has donated large sums of money to the schools to offset the need for fund-raising. Wayland Union is one of the few districts in the state that does not have a “pay to play” for athletics However, the volume of additional fund-raisers may be causing the community to feel overtaxed by donation requests.
The board as a whole wants to re-evaluate how fund-raising is managed. They aim to avoid overtaxing the community while still allowing students to pursue various opportunities. No formal action was taken, but the board intends to examine the issue again once they select a policy provider.
Policy provider evaluation reviewed
Since the beginning of the school year, the board has been reviewing law firms that provide assistance in crafting school policies. While the district has worked with Neola for years, other area districts rely on legal firms Thrun or Clark Hill.
Board members are reviewing weapons policies crafted by all three firms. Members also want to know how much time and money it will cost should they decide to switch firms. Further discussions will take place at a Policy Committee meeting April 27.
Student education device changes explored
The board also conducted a review of educational devices. While the administration expressed a desire to provide iPads for all students, staff members from the middle and high schools advocate for Chromebooks instead.
After several committee meetings and reviews, the district decided to move forward with iPads but will offer Chromebooks to middle and high school students as part of a pilot program next year.
