Each club in the Greenwood Public Schools will be limited to one fund-raising event a year involving students, according to a policy revision approved by the city school board Tuesday.
The board voted unanimously for the new limits, which had been recommended by Superintendent Les Daniels.
Daniels said at last month's board meeting that he wanted to limit the amount of "begging" that students must do in the community on behalf of school groups.
The new rules don't apply to fund raising by parents or booster clubs, who "can have as many fund-raisers as they want," Daniels said Tuesday.
The superintendent said it presents a bad image to the taxpayers when the schools must use students to raise so much money.
He said the district might consider contributing more money to some of these organizations. Another option would be for them to set up dues-paying systems, he said.
In any case, Daniels said, the questions to ask will be whether the club is legitimate, then how much money it needs and then how that money should be raised.
Some questions were raised about the enforcement of the rule. For example, Board President John Johnson mentioned that fund-raisers run by parents frequently involve students.
Daniels replied that the policy might require some adjustment because it is "breaking new ground."
He said the district will have to educate parents about what students will be permitted to do. Many are accustomed to the fund raising because they have grown up with it, he said.
Some local businesspeople have said they are asked almost constantly to contribute to the school groups, Daniels said.
Margaret Dean, public relations coordinator for the district, said the Greenwood High School annual has trouble selling ads because businesses are being asked for money by so many other groups. Student organizations often must compete against each other for money, she said.
Also Tuesday, the board:
- Approved a budget of $24.1 million for the upcoming school year, with the tax rate remaining at 55 mills.
- Agreed to allow negotiations to begin for Mississippi Action for Progress to use the entire building now housing Dickerson Elementary School as a Head Start facility. Beginning in the fall, students who would have attended Dickerson will go to the building that now houses Threadgill Junior High, and students who would have gone to Threadgill will attend the new Greenwood Middle School.
It had been suggested earlier that the Threadgill Day Care Center be moved to the Dickerson site and share space with the Head Start program. However, the day-care center's director, Jeanette Coleman, has said that health regulations make such a move impossible and that the center would have to close.
- Discussed the rules for behavior at graduation. A graduating student at Pearl High School was reprimanded after pumping his fist in the air as he prepared to receive his diploma May 26. Daniels said people in the Greenwood district should know that that kind of behavior will not be tolerated. He said he hoped security officers wouldn't have to escort somebody out but added that he wanted a level of decorum maintained.
