In order to fulfill its legal and fiduciary requirements, the Board of Education requires school-connected organizations to submit an application (if new) or renewal application (if previously authorized). The Application is available in the District's Guidelines for Parent Organizations and Booster Clubs and shall be submitted to the school principal. Any group planning to form an organization involving student or school participation and support shall have the expressed approval of the principal of the school prior to the initiation of any organizational procedures. Any request for authorization must include the following information:
1. The name and purpose of the organization
2. The date of application
3. Bylaws, rules, and procedures under which the organization will operate, including procedures for maintaining the organization's finances, membership qualifications, if any, and an agreement that the group will not engage in unlawful discrimination
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
4. The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all officers
5. A list of specific objectives
6. An agreement to grant the district the right to audit the group's financial records, either by district personnel or a certified public accountant, whenever any concern is raised regarding the use of the funds
7. The name of the bank where the organization's account will be located and the names of those authorized to withdraw funds
8. The signature of the principal of the supporting school
9. Planned use for any money remaining at the end of the year if the organization is not continued or authorized to continue in the future
10. An agreement to provide evidence of liability and/or directors and officers insurance when and in the manner required by law. All parent groups and/or booster clubs conducting fund raising activities on school campuses shall complete a district Use of Facilities Application
11. Each officer of the school-connected organization is to acknowledge receipt of the Guidelines for Parent Organizations and Booster Clubs, Policies and Regulations and shall comply with the Rules and Regulations and Procedures.
12. Each school-connected organization shall have among their officers the office of treasurer. The duties of the treasurer shall be delineated in the group's constitution and bylaws.
(cf. 1330 - Use of School Facilities)
Authorization shall be granted for a period of one school year.
Requests for subsequent authorization must be submitted annually to the principal, along with a financial statement showing all income and expenditures from fundraisers. If the Superintendent or designee proposes to deny the request for reauthorization, he/she shall present his/her recommendation to the Board of Education for approval.
When deemed necessary by the Board or the Superintendent or designee, the authorization for a school-connected organization to conduct activities in the district may be revoked at any time.
The Superintendent or designee shall establish Policies, Regulations, Rules and Guidelines to provide direction for approved school-connected organizations related to students, student interests and schools of the district. Each school-connected organization shall abide by the following rules:
1. The organization shall not act as an agent of the district or school.
2. The organization shall not use the district's tax-exempt status and identification number. It shall be responsible for its own tax status, accounting, internal controls, financial reporting, retention of records, and other operations.
3. The organization shall use a separate name and logo. Any use of a name or logo affiliated with the district, a district school, or a school team shall require the prior consent of the Superintendent or designee. With the consent of the Superintendent or designee, the educational foundation, as appropriate, may use the district's name, a school's name, a school team's name, or any logo attributable to a school or the district. The Board supports foundation allocations that serve all district schools equitably.
4. No individual Board member, Board candidate, faculty, staff, student, or community group may use any District or school logo, seal, trademark or the official web template header or footer, or refer to his or her affiliation with the District in any manner that suggests or implies District, Board or school support or endorsement of a political candidate, ballot measure or to further any other political activity or movement. Students may use school logos for the limited purpose of campaign activities related to student officer elections.
5. A Board member or employee may refer to his/her title when endorsing a candidate, for identification purposes only. When a Board member or employee refers to his/her title in an endorsement, it is recommended that the endorsement include an appropriate disclaimer, such as: "References to public agency titles or affiliations are for identification purposes only. Public agencies and public officials/employees acting in their official capacities do not endorse political candidates, ballot measures or other political activities or movements."
6. Funds of the school-connected organization shall not be co-mingled with district funds, including associated student body funds.
7. School-connected organizations shall neither hire nor provide direct payments, additional stipends or incentive pay to volunteers or district employees in violation of District policy, rules and regulations, procedures, employee contracts, CIF regulations, or law.
Upon the request of a school-connected organization and with the approval of the school principal and the Associated Student Body Student Council, or similar governing body, the student body account may fund positions in athletics and fine arts which are in addition to those funded by the District. Persons providing these services shall be hired by the district's personnel department; provided the Board approves the position.
The school-connected organization may pay for these positions in athletics and fine arts through contributions from fundraising activities.
Added positions in athletics and fine arts shall not be used to staff additional sports or activities.
Added positions shall not be used to staff head coaching slots in athletics or major activity director slots in fine arts.
(cf. 4127/4227/4327 - Temporary Athletic Team Coaches)
8. All school-connected organizations shall submit annually to the school principal a list of proposed fund-raising activities for the school year for the purpose of coordinating activities and the school calendars. All fund-raising activities shall be approved by the school principal.
9. Events sponsored by school-connected organizations shall be consistent with existing district policies establishing tobacco, alcohol, and drug-free environments at all school functions.
10. School principals, coaches, band directors, club advisors, teachers and other district personnel shall not serve as officers in school-connected organizations that serve the school in which they are assigned.
11. District employees shall not sign checks or make payments to individuals on behalf of the school-connected organizations that serve the school in which they are assigned.
12. Annual accounting of records and transactions.
For parent groups and/or booster clubs where the annual gross receipts are more than $1,000 but less than $10,000 an annual treasurer's report shall suffice for the annual accounting.
The annual treasurer's report shall be signed by both the club treasurer and club president indicating approval of expenditures and shall be submitted to the principal within ninety days after the close of school, or the booster club or parent group's fiscal year.
For parent groups and/or booster clubs where the annual gross receipts are in excess of $10,000, an internal audit shall be conducted by the audit committee or Certified Public Accountant, and the audit shall be submitted to the school principal within ninety days after the close of the parent group and/or booster club's fiscal year.
The principal shall forward the audit report to the district's Business Office for review.
The district reserves the right to audit the financial records of any Booster Club/Parent Organization at any time.
Review Process
In the event the Superintendent or designee, after conferring with the school principal and conducting an investigation, determines that a school-connected organization is in violation of a policy condition or regulation, or no longer functions in the best interest of the students, school or district, it shall be the prerogative of the Superintendent or designee to initiate appropriate corrective remedies or administrative sanctions or to recommend to the Board the disassociation of the district and school from that organization.
Notification and Appeal
In the event that a recommendation for the disassociation of a school-connected organization from the school and district is to be proposed to the Board, the school connection organization involved shall receive written notice of that recommendation from the Superintendent's office.
Any appeal relative to the Superintendent's recommendation or the Boards' action which may result in the disassociation of the school-connected organization shall be submitted in writing to the Superintendent's office by the school-connected organizations elected officers or Board of Directors.
Regulation RIVERSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: June 26, 2018 Riverside, California
revised: November 10, 2020