When a Cedar Cliff High School parent raised concerns that a booster club’s plan to raffle off five guns was inappropriate as a school-related fundraiser, district officials said they had no authority over the club’s activities.
But the district policy and guidelines indicate that the district had the authority – and the opportunity – to nix or endorse the raffle and didn’t act.
School board policy 915 says: “Booster organization fundraising activities shall be requested in writing and approved by the Athletic Director and building principal, and conform with District guidelines.”
Among those guidelines is a statement on the district website that schools will not be involved “in any way with fundraising activities that involve the use or sale of weapons.”
The Cedar Cliff Colts Booster Club submitted its plans for the raffle on August 10 using a district fundraising request form. It included a list of prizes, including three 9-mm handguns, a rifle and shotgun. The club checked off a box indicating students would be involved in the fundraiser. Club officials later told PennLive they were simply indicating that students would distribute the tickets to their families to sell.
The request form has spaces for the signature of the building principal and boxes to check to indicate whether the request was approved or disapproved. But the signature line and boxes were left blank after district officials said they reviewed the form.
District Spokeswoman Rhonda Fourhman said the superintendent was busy planning for the school year and did not get around to sending the group a letter to “outline expectations relative to the raffle prior to the start of the sale,” Fourhman said.
“Due to the hectic start of the school year (e.g., COVID mitigation, mask order, weather related closings), Dr. Stoltz was delayed in reviewing the request and providing the boosters with a response prior to September 14,” she said. “So, you are correct that denial of the use of the stadium for selling tickets, holding the drawing, and announcing winners came after the start of the sale of raffle tickets.”
Fourhman added that there was some discussion about the fundraiser prior to the form being submitted.
“While the booster club was exploring different fundraising options, the idea to hold a raffle was shared with Cedar Cliff’s athletic director,” she said.
Parents of high school football players were notified by email Sept. 8 that raffle tickets would be distributed to students at practice on Sept. 9. That email contained a disclaimer that district officials said they requested to try to distance the raffle from the school district.
But the email also said : “The drawing will be held during half time at our October 29th game against Mifflin County.”
It wasn’t until after a football parent complained to Superintendent Todd Stoltz on Sept. 13 that he issued the letter to the club dated Sept. 14 that said they were not authorized to use the stadium for raffle ticket sales or the prize ceremony.
Booster club officials told PennLive the club is a registered 501(c)3 that operates outside of the direct authority of the district. Fourhman also insisted that the policy requiring district approval of booster club fundraisers was not “applicable” in this case.
She said the request form is informational in nature, used to determine “if board policy is applicable for each particular fundraiser, and for general awareness and contact information for said events.”
The board policy, however, doesn’t indicate that some booster club fundraisers are subject to district approval and others aren’t. Instead, the approved board policy for booster clubs concludes by saying: “No booster organization shall engage in any activity outside these guidelines.”
All school board members were contacted by email by PennLive, but none responded.
Fourhman did not address some questions by PennLive specifically, but said that the district “disagrees with the conclusions you have drawn regarding the Cedar Cliff Booster Raffle.”
Additionally, she said: “We acknowledge that the language could be clearer on our website and will work to provide unambiguous guidance in this area.”
But changing the language on the website would not alter the district’s policy that requires pre-approval. That policy is common for school districts across the state.
In Derry Township, for example, their policy 915 for booster clubs says “Booster clubs are adult organizations, which sponsor adult fundraising activities carried out in the name of the school…fundraising activities, which are carried out in the name of the school, must have pre-approval by completing the appropriate request form.”
In Lancaster County, the Conestoga School District website lists frequently asked questions, including: Do Booster Clubs need approval in order to hold fundraising events?
The answer: “All fundraising is under the supervision and coordination of the CVHS Principal. Booster clubs must submit a Fundraiser Request Form and receive Principal’s approval prior to holding a fundraiser.”
The approval form for booster club fundraisers in the State College School District, like the one for the West Shore School District, contains boxes for district officials to “approve” or “disapprove,” each fundraiser.
A state Department of Education spokeswoman said the agency did not have a role in regulating booster clubs or nonprofits that support students; however individual school board polices may apply.
Completed fundraising request form by Christine Vendel on Scribd
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