Sports Fund Raising

Are you having trouble maintaining sports programs due to budgetary constraints? What is your opinion about or experience with allowing community members to fund raise for sports programs outside of your budget?

  1. Our district has not in the last few years had any problems with sports. The board feels that the students need a rounded education which incudes sports,music,arts etc and we have been able to sell this to the citizens who support us.

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  2. I’m very happy to say that our community has gone above and beyond in supporting the sports program. In my opinion it is what keeps the quality program we have alive in the fullness it currently exists.

    Let the community pitch in!

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  3. Parents at our elementary school (k-8) have developed successful soccer and basketball programs that are not affiliated with the school. Both programs are run as nonprofit organizations (separate organizations for soccer and basketball) and are managed by an annually elected Board of Directors. The parental volunteers for each program are responsible for all activities including raising funds to support the programs. Both programs do utilize facilities at the school including the recreation/soccer field and the gymnasium. Each program has been successfully run in this manner for well over 10 years.

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  4. My general feeling is that if a school sponsors an extra-curricular activity, including sports, it should support it with a budget and taxpayer money. Outside groups and individuals may help out with fund raising, say for a special trip, or to help buy uniforms. We are looking at a way alumni and others can use a website to make donations, which they may earmark for a special activity or sport. So far we have not been forced to cut back on a sport or other extra-curricular activity.

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  5. Budgeting is tight. For many years we have had community members (sport parents) do fund raising. It is helpful. The problem we have is a lack of control. Some parent sport group will purchase some piece of equipment (loud speakers, barbecue) and then believe the equipment to be theirs for their sport and no other sport is allowed to us it. We now have three separate sets of loud speakers.

    I would advise a board policy that all purchases go through the school and the equipment that can be used by multiple sports can and will be because it is owned by the school (not the parent sport group).

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  6. A few of our extracurricular programs are funded by fund raising – some done by the activities themselves and some by community members. Unless designated for a specific use (a private bus to an away trip; auditorium seats, uniforms, for example), the funds go into the budget for the activity. Our football program, for example, is fully financed by fund raising with the exception of transportation and officiating – up to and including salaries, uniforms and equipment. We have just approved a club rugby program which, too, will rely on fund raising outside of our budget for support. The “operation” and administration of activities is in the hands of our administration and coaching/advising staff – not community members.

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  7. We do not have trouble maintaining our sports programs. In fact, we have added football to our schedule. We have very strong community support along with our budgetary allowances.

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  8. Not yet, but we only finance basketball at the elementary level and the coaches and referees are volunteers. Only the uniforms and coordinator position are supplemented. The High School has a booster club, that has benefited from local fund raising. We have not needed to request any support at the elementary level as soccer and baseball are funded by the town and the local youth baseball/softball association.

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  9. I have an opinion on the sports fund raising question. I absolutely think outside/parent fund raising is vital for sports programs within our schools. Our budget was cut so low a couple of years ago there was not even enough $ for umps & refs, we now have a budget that covers coaches, athletic director and most equipment( or can be used for refs & umps). It is up to the athletes and their families to fund raise for anything extra like new uniforms or any special equipment. It is truly a struggle constantly, but as a board member it gets heart breaking when you have to choose between a para or sports- Formal EDUCATION wins- so all of our schools need to fund raise for athletics so we can keep our children moving! (Just my own thoughts)

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  10. No problem with our limited sports program in terms of budgetary issues but we are so small we have a problem fielding a team period.

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  11. With the current budget issues in mind, I am definitely in favor of School Sports using private fund raising as a mechanism to maintain programs. I realize that not ever community is on the same playing field (no pun intended) but any dollar that we can save the Ed Fund, the better. Then, the under or unfunded programs will have to be addressed by each Supervisory Union or District.

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  12. Have to be careful. Mostly they need pre-approval. We have tried to pull all outside organization under the schools accounting and auditing policies. We have been successful with the exception of the “booster” club. They have issues with the administration and they raise funds and dish out as they see fit without input from coaches.

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  13. Bennington does not have a policy on outside business support, but I know Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester has a list of donors that help their school in ALL areas. This list was just published in the local newspaper listing each category and the donor. You may want to check with them.

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  14. I would like to suggest any time there is an investment or partnership in any portion of a school or its programs, there is a clear set of guidelines which are followed.
    Taking a winter sport program, for example, who is ultimately responsible for the costs to the students when that participate in a more costly program like skiing? There should be a clear understanding both to the parents of the students as well as with the organization making the monetary donation which would include exactly what the support is the school is receiving and what the ramifications would be to not have such support from the outside organization / partnership.

    You may also choose to investigate as to whether or not the school board would need to (or should) vote on setting the fee structures which will be set for an athletic program for example. This could be the case for any extra curricular program.

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  15. We have a lot of fund raising by the P.T.A. ,they have gotten new sports equipment and new playground equipment. Without them our kids would have a lot less.

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