Joint School-Based Donation Advisory Committee

This committee has completed their work.

Committee Report (PDF) | Committee Presentation to School Board (PDF)

School-based donations, particularly by the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), have always been a positive and important way for communities to support schools. Recently, a community dialogue has occurred about how such private donations are used from school to school, as well as the differences in private donation levels from school to school. The conversations were initiated by a Bellevue School District (BSD) policy (POL. 1460) that precludes donations for staffing in individual schools. While the District policy will be determined by the School Board, a larger community conversation can begin looking at private funding models across the country. A number of interesting equity models have emerged across the nation. A joint advisory committee of PTSA parents, teachers, principals, Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF) Board members, district staff, and community members has formed to explore ways for the Bellevue community to continue to support all schools in our District. The School Board has requested the committee complete their work by April and provide a report to the School Board by May.

Attend all meetings (biweekly) of one to two hours each for a total of two to four hours a month (no substitutes please).

• Research best practices of school based funding efforts that benefit all schools as well as allow for individual school donations. The time commitment to research may involve two or more hours a week. 
• Review additional information and reports to provide feedback.
• Serve as a two-way communication link to their respective communities. 
• Committee members will be required to solicit input and feedback from their respective communities and report that information back to the committee.
• Make presentations to the School Board, PTSA, BSF and other community organizations.
• Collaborate to form one or more specific recommendations to the School Board.

The joint advisory committee will be charged with exploring current and best practices of ways private donations (including but not limited to PTSA) are distributed at individual schools in our district, other school districts, regions and states. The intent is to examine potential equity models to consider what options may, or may not work for Bellevue. School district staff evaluating the effectiveness of current PTSA funded programs in Bellevue schools will provide reports to the committee for information in developing recommendations. Reports from BSF may also be provided for consideration. The committee will be asked to make one or more recommendations to the Bellevue School Board for the Board to consider. The Board will also consider current budget, operational and personnel information.