NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 3280
Northfield, New Jersey Monitored
Mandated
Policy X Other Reasons
GIFTS, GRANTS AND DONATIONS
Only the Northfield Board of Education may accept for the Northfield School District any bequest or gift of money, property or goods.
The board reserves the right to refuse to accept any gift that does not contribute to the achievement of district goals or could deplete the resources of the district.
Any gift accepted by the board shall become the property of the board, may not be returned without the approval of the board, and is subject to the same controls and regulations as are other properties of the board. The board shall be responsible for the maintenance of any gift it accepts.
The board will make every effort to honor the intent of the donor in its use of the gift, but reserves the right to use any gift it accepts in the best interest of the educational program of the district. In no case shall acceptance of a gift be considered to be an endorsement by the board of a commercial product or business enterprise or institution of learning.
Grants
Staff members are encouraged to seek out sources of grants and gifts, and bring them to the attention of the Superintendent, who shall investigate the conditions of such grants and make recommendations to the board regarding the advisability of seeking them.
The Superintendent shall:
- Counsel potential donors on the appropriateness of gifts and encourage such donors to choose as gifts, supplies or equipment not likely to be purchased with public funds;
- Encourage individuals and organizations considering a contribution to the schools to consult with the principal or superintendent before appropriating funds to that end;
- Report to the board all gifts which he/she has accepted on behalf of the board;
- Acknowledge the receipt and value of any gift accepted by the school district;
- Prepare fitting means for recognizing or memorializing gifts to the district as appropriate.
It shall be the responsibility of the business administrator to assure that appropriate purchasing procedures, including compliance with the bidding process, are met when making purchases for grants. He or she shall review the costs of requests and compare them to the amounts already expended in the grant. The business administrator shall also maintain all financial backup information for the grant including contracts, specification information, and a separate accounting system for each grant where this is required by law.
Community Organizations Contributions to the District
The board of education appreciates the efforts of concerned citizens who form or belong to organizations which contribute funds or equipment for district approved pupil extracurricular activities, or for recognition of pupil achievement.
The Superintendent shall formulate a procedure for review of the proposed use of such funds. Proposed equipment must be approved for safety in the same manner in which district-purchased equipment is reviewed.
The board encourages active support of and cooperation with community associations by teachers and other employees.
Parent Teacher Organization
An Parent Teacher Organization shall be created for the purpose of soliciting and raising monetary gifts and donations for the school district. This organization shall be governed by a board of directors that shall recommend expenditures of funds in educational areas not ordinarily covered by the school budget and in accordance with criteria in its bylaws. Members of the board of education and/or the administration shall not serve on the board of directors of the Parent Teacher Organization. Policies and regulations on gifts to the district shall apply to funds raised by the foundation organization.
Adopted: November 18, 1996
NJSBA Review/Update: October 2009; December 2010; June 2017; October 2017
Readopted: October 24, 2011
Key Words
Gifts, Grants, Bequests
Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:6-33.1
through -33.12 Incentive Grants
N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-15.1 Payment for goods or services; funds received from a bequest, legacy or gift
N.J.S.A. 18A:20-4 Acceptance and use of gifts
N.J.S.A. 18A:20-11
through -16 Property devised in trust
N.J.S.A. 18A:29A-1
through -7 Governor’s Annual Teacher Recognition Act
N.J.S.A. 18A:71A-1 et seq. Authority Structure and General Provisions
N.J.S.A. 18A:71B-1 et seq. Student Financial Aid
N.J.S.A. 18A:71C-1 et seq. Student Loans
N.J.A.C. 6A:26-7.4 Approval of land acquisition
Possible
Cross References: *1230 School-connected organizations
3200 Income
*3220/3230 State funds; federal funds
*3453 School activity funds
*5126 Awards for achievement
*6163.1 Media center/library
*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.