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The Superintendent or designee, with the aid of students, faculty and administration, is charged with developing procedures for establishing and regulating student organizations, groups, or clubs. Such procedures will ensure that the District will register any group organized for a purpose not prohibited by Board policy or by law, if such group submits a list of its members and its officers, the name of the advisor, a copy of its constitution and/or bylaws, and the constitution and bylaws of any off-campus organization with which it may be affiliated. Student groups are open to all students, and may not restrict membership on the basis of race (including hair, hairstyle, and other traits historically associated with race), color, weight, national origin,

ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender status) or other arbitrary or discriminatory criteria.

The District may prohibit the formation of any organizations/clubs whose deliberations and activities have caused or created, or will foreseeably cause or create, a disruption of or interference with the school program.

All student organizations/clubs must follow all Board policies, including, but not limited to, policies regarding fundraising, facility usage, wellness and conduct.

Student Activities Fund Management

Approved school-sponsored student organizations and clubs may conduct a fundraising activity when the proceeds will be used for the benefit of District students, the community, school programs or facilities, and charities. Acceptable fundraising includes productions, sales, services, etc. Door-to-door solicitations are prohibited. The group must follow all District policies including the procedures necessary for conducting a fundraising activity.

The faculty advisor of an organization/club is responsible for the supervision of the finances of that student group and should periodically audit the club treasurer’s records. Necessary records will be maintained for periodic inspection by the District and the annual audit by outside auditors. The record of finances must be accurate and complete in every detail. In order to maintain a high degree of financial accuracy, the faculty advisors must follow these guidelines:

1. If an organization handles ANY money, a student treasurer must be elected and that person must keep the record of money movements. These records will contain all information asked for as required by the most current Safeguarding, Accounting, and Auditing of Extraclassroom Activity Funds guidance document and will be checked by the advisor at least monthly.

2. The Fundraising Request and Approval Routing Checklist and Anticipated/Actual Statement of Profit and Loss forms, which can both be found in the main office of each school and on the District website, must be completed and submitted to the  Principal for approval at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the activity. 

3. Upon receipt of the Fundraising Request Approval Routing Checklist and Anticipated/Actual Fundraising Request and Statement of Profit and Loss, the Assistant Superintendent for Business shall notify the Principal whether or not the proposal is approved. The Principal shall notify the school-sponsored organization or club. 

4. All deposits will be made promptly to the school treasurer who will make entries in the records and return a copy of the deposit slip to the student treasurer. Students will be reminded to collect money early in the morning and to make prompt deposits to the Main Office (safe) or to the school treasurer. School treasurers may not retain sums of money that can be lost or stolen (see Policy 6400 Deposit of Funds).

5. At the conclusion of the fundraising activity, the final Anticipated/Actual Statement of Profit and Loss must be submitted showing the total actual receipts and the total actual disbursements.

6. Any operating costs of the organization/club will be paid through the respective extraclassroom  activity fund. When spending club money, prior approval is required by the  Principal or designee.

7. If applicable, New York State sales tax will be collected and submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Business for submission to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. If the New York State sales tax is not collected and submitted, the amount of sales tax will be deducted from the appropriate account.

Cross-References:  5300, Code of Conduct 

5405, Wellness

4525, Responsible Use of Technology

6400, Deposit of Funds

Ref:   Education Law ''Sections 207; 1709-a; 2503-a; 2554-a 

  Equal Access Act, 20 U.S.C.A. ''Sections 4071-4074

 8 NYCRR Part 172

 Matter of Jimenez, 9 EDR 172

 Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens, No. 88-1597 (U.S. June 4,1990)

Garnett By Smith v. Renton School Dist. No. 403, 865 F.2d 1121 (9th Cir., 1989)

Thompson v. Waynesboro Area School Dist., 673 F.Supp. 1379 (1987)

Student Coalition v. Lower Merion School Dist. Bd., 633 F.Supp. 1040 (1986) 

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School Dist., 393 U.S. 503, 89 S.Ct. 733  (1969)

  Healy v. James, 408 U.S. 169, 92 S.Ct. 2338 (1972)

New York State Education Department, Safeguarding, Accounting, and Auditing of Extraclassroom Activity Funds 2019

Adoption date:  December 1, 1995

Amended date: June 17, 2019

Amended date: October 23, 2023