Houston Independent School District



Definitions

For the purposes of this regulation, the following definitions will apply. See Reference (h).

Booster Club

a. A booster club is an organization composed of patrons (parents, business representatives, community members) from a school neighborhood, who are committed to encouraging and enriching student participation in extracurricular activities, including University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic, academic, and music activities and non-UIL sanctioned activities (e.g., Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), Future Farmers of America, and cheerleading).

Valuable Consideration

b. Valuable consideration is defined as tangible or intangible property or service including anything that is usable, wearable, salable, or consumable.

Booster Club Sponsorship

Booster clubs are legal entities separate from HISD. An approved booster club may use the name of a Houston Independent School District (HISD) school within its title, communications, and fund-raising advertisements and represent itself as a school-affiliated organization. However, booster clubs may not use the school tax exempt sales tax identification number at any time. See Reference (f) and (g).

Procedures to Request Booster Club Approval

Annually, parents and community members wishing to form a new or renew an existing booster club organization on a school campus will obtain approval of the school principal, who has final approval authority for booster clubs. See Reference (a). The procedures for requesting a booster club are as follows:

Annual Request

c. At the beginning of each school year, the booster club president obtains an HISD Booster Club Statement of Purpose, HISD Booster Club Annual Affiliation Agreement, and copy of this memorandum from the school principal. See Exhibits (1) and (3). The forms should be completed and signed by the designated officers each year following booster club election of officers.

Review

d. The principal will review the forms for completeness and verify inclusion of the following information: the objectives of the club, the club’s stated effect on the school’s educational program, and required signatures.

Incomplete Forms

e. All signatures on the forms are required. Incomplete forms will not be accepted.

Signature Approval

f. If the principal approves the affiliation of the booster club with the school, he or she signs both forms. The HISD Booster Club Annual Affiliation Agreement must also be signed by the school activity coordinator and school coach or sponsor affiliated with the booster club.

Booster Club Notification

g. The principal is responsible for notifying the requester if the booster club has been approved and providing a copy of the approved forms. If the principal does not approve the request, the club is not allowed to use the school’s name or represent itself as an approved school organization.

Filing

h. The original forms must be filed at the school.

District Notification

i. The principal must submit a copy of each approved form to the District’s athletic director.

Booster Club Relationship with the School

The Superintendent or designee who does not coach or direct a UIL contest has approval authority over booster clubs and must be invited to all meetings. Booster clubs do not have authority to direct the duties of a District employee. The scheduling of contests, rules for participation, methods of earning letters and all other criteria dealing with school programs and events are under the jurisdiction of the local school administration. Booster clubs should apprise school administrators of all club activities.

Fund-raising

Fundraising activities should support the educational goals of the school and must not exploit students. A booster club must request approval from the team coach or school sponsor and principal each time it wants to raise funds in the school’s name. The coach or sponsor working with the booster club must verify the validity of activities and projects before committing the school’s support. Any concern should be brought to the attention of the principal. See References (b), (c), (f), and (g).

UIL Rules

j. UIL rules govern how a booster club may raise and spend its funds. The school principal must approve all booster club fund-raisers if the funds will be donated to the school. If the intent is prohibited by UIL, funds cannot be raised in the name of the school.

The money raised cannot be earmarked for any particular expense. The booster club may make recommendations for the donated funds with the condition that the school is not bound by that recommendation. Cash or other valuable consideration must be given to the school to use at its discretion. The school must deposit money collected in and spend the funds from its activity funds account. See References (f) and (h).

Approval

k. The procedures for fund-raising approval are as follows:

Request

1) The booster club president will submit a completed, signed HISD Booster Club Fund-raising Application form for each fund-raising activity given in the name of the school. See Exhibit (2). The application must be signed by the treasurer of the booster club.

Review

2) The booster club team coach or school sponsor and the principal will review the application for completeness and possible noncompliance with UIL Rules. See Reference (h).

Approval

3) If the principal and team coach or school sponsor agree that the purpose for the fund-raiser is allowed by UIL rules, the principal, and team coach or school sponsor, sign and date the application.

Denial

4) If the purpose appears to be outside the direct benefit of the school and students, the request must be denied. Excess funds should not be raised.

Files

5) The booster club treasurer is responsible for filing the original signed application with club documents.

Copies

6) The booster club treasurer should provide a copy of the approved application to the school finance clerk or campus business manager, as appropriate, and the principal.

Restrictions

Booster club funds should be used to support school activities. Use of such funding for non-school activities violates UIL rules and the public trust through which funds are earned. See Reference (h). Restrictions regarding booster club funds and activities are as follows:

Booster Clubs, Fans, and Community

l. Booster clubs, as well as fans and community members, are restricted in the gifts or awards they can give students, school sponsors, or coaches. Anyone desiring to give a gift or award to a student must obtain permission from the school principal. Banquets, parties, and other student activities must have prior approval from the principal.

Student Athletes

m. Athletes are restricted by the Texas Athletic Amateur Rule as outlined below. See Reference (g). Students and boosters will be informed of the seriousness of violating the athletic amateur rule.

Money and Valuables for UIL

1) The Texas Athletic Amateur Rule states that athletes cannot accept money or valuable consideration for participating in a UIL sport or for allowing their names to be used in promoting a product, plan, or service related to a UIL contest.

Penalty

2) The penalty to a student athlete is forfeiture of varsity athletic eligibility in the sport for which the violation occurred for one calendar year from the date of the violation.

School Athletics

3) Student athletes are prohibited from accepting valuable consideration for participation in school athletics. Any valuable consideration that is not given or offered to the entire student body on the same basis that it is given or offered to an athlete is prohibited. Salable food items or trinkets given to athletes by school boosters, students, cheerleaders, drill team members, siblings, and parents of other students, teachers, or others violate this rule.

UIL Academics and Music

n. Students participating in academic and music UIL activities have no amateur rule but are restricted by the UIL Awards Rule. For detailed guidelines, see References (e) and (h).

School Personnel

o. Coaches and campus directors of UIL academics, athletics, and fine arts may not accept more than $500 in money, product, or service from any source in recognition of or appreciation for coaching, directing, or sponsoring UIL activities. The $500 limit is cumulative for a calendar year and is not specific to any one particular gift. The Semi-Annual Disclosure Statement form must be completed and signed by any HISD employee that receives such gifts. The original form must be submitted to the principal and a copy sent to the District’s athletic director. For additional information, see References (d) and (i). Unlike music booster clubs, academic booster clubs, and JROTC, athletic booster club funds may not be used to support athletic camps, clinics, private instruction, or any activity outside of the school.

Donations

p. Booster groups or individuals may donate money or merchandise to the school with prior approval of the campus principal. Such donations are often made to cover the cost of commercial transportation and out-of-town meals. It is a violation of UIL rules for booster groups or individuals to pay for such costs directly.

In-Kind Donations

q. In-kind donations must follow UIL rules as outlined in this memorandum.

Schools

r. A school may only provide meals for contests held away from the home school. If the school does not pay for meals, individual parents must purchase their own children’s food. A parent may purchase items deemed necessary or desirable for his or her child but may not provide food or other items of valuable consideration for the child’s teammates.

Schools may also provide supplies for games and practices and transportation for school field trips. Students must pay admission fees associated with school field trips. See Section 441 of Reference (h) for more specific information.

Booster Club Finances

Individuals who actively coach or direct a UIL activity will serve in an advisory capacity to the booster club and may not have control or signature authority over booster club funds, including petty cash or miscellaneous discretionary funds. Coaches’ wish-lists must be submitted in writing to the principal for approval prior to submission to the booster club.

Annual Report of Revenues and Expenditures

The booster club should publish an annual report of revenues and expenditures that substantially conforms to the format of the HISD Sample Booster Club Annual Report. See Exhibit (4). This report should give an overview of funds raised by the booster club and how those funds were spent. It should be signed by a booster club officer and submitted to the school principal. The annual report shall be kept on file at the school with a copy sent to the District’s athletic director.

Audit Committee

The booster club should elect an audit committee from among its general membership to review the booster club’s records. The review should verify the accuracy of the club’s annual report. The audit committee designee should sign the annual report indicating the report is correct according to the financial records of the booster club. The report should be completed and submitted to the school before the start of the new school year but no later than September 1st.

Consultation

This regulation has been through consultation (Administrative: January 15, 2008; Instructional: November 1, 2007; Noninstructional: December 11, 2007).

Maintenance Responsibility

The athletic director, School Athletics, is responsible for maintenance of this regulation.

REFERENCES:

(a) Board Policy FM(LOCAL)

(b) Board Policy GKD (LOCAL)

(c) Board Policy GE (LOCAL)

(d) DBD2(REGULATION)

(e) Constitution and Contest Rules of the University Interscholastic League

(f) Finance Procedures Manual §317b PTA/PTO and Outside Organizations

(g) Texas Athletic Amateur Rule

(h) UIL Booster Club Guidelines

(i) Form – Semi-Annual Disclosure Statement

EXHIBITS:

(1) GE(EXHIBIT), Exhibit B

(2) GE(EXHIBIT), Exhibit D

(3) GE(EXHIBIT), Exhibit C

(4) GE(EXHIBIT), Exhibit A

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