4237P: District Fundraising Activities: Contests, Advertising, and Promotions

It is the policy of the Bellevue School District that commercialism, advertising, and promotions by outside entities should be allowed only when such are consistent with the educational mission of the District. Therefore, except as provided for in this policy, in other board policies, or in applicable laws, it is prohibited as part of the District’s operation to use materials, equipment, facilities, schools, staff or students for any of the following activities: to circulate petitions or to conduct fund-raising activities for non-district agencies; to endorse commercial products or services; or to accept or display advertising of non-district products.

1. Solicitation or display of paid advertising. Subject to the approval of the principal or principal’s designee, schools may sell and display advertisements to support school newspapers, yearbooks, sports programs, and like activities. The display in school facilities of information or advertisements about products selected for use or sale by the schools or other district departments will not be considered a violation of this policy.

   Under this policy authorized school booster organizations or PTAs may sell paid advertising for display on District sport field fences subject to prior approval of the school principal or the principal’s designee and/or District Activities and Athletics Director and the following limitations:

   1. Advertising is limited to facilities, scoreboards, and printed extra-curricular materials. Only the school principal or designee authorizes advertising during extra-curricular activities and not volunteers. Advertising will be subject to a district schedule for sizes, process and permitted location(s); and
   2. The sale of such advertising fence space must be of specific duration and may not continue indefinitely. (For example, temporary signs containing commercial advertising may be placed on a baseball or softball field for the duration of the Spring Sport season, to be removed at the end of the season); and
   3. The proceeds for such advertising must be used to support the school’s programs or district programs as determined appropriate by the school principal or designee and/or District Activities and Athletics Director in consultation with the booster organization or PTSA; and
   4. The advertisement text, content, subject matter, and display must be approved in advance by the principal or designee and must also meet the same requirements that donations to the District must meet as set forth in provision 2.2 and 2.4 below; and
   5. The Board reserves the right to discontinue such sale of advertising at any time and for any reason upon notice to the booster organization or PTSA.
2. Display of business names, logos, and sponsorships. Businesses that donate material or equipment to schools and/or that sponsor school activities may have their business names and logos displayed and may be given appropriate recognition for such contributions.

   However, no school has to accept donations or sponsors unless it wishes to do so; and if donations are accepted, they shall be accepted in accordance with Policy 6114, Donations, and they must meet the criteria set forth below.

   In order for any and all donated material, equipment, or other items to be accepted by the District, they must meet the following criteria:

   1. The donations must be of educational value to students and/or be in support of the educational, athletic, or activities program at the school; and
   2. The donations must not contain any information which promotes tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, or violence, or which promotes or disparages any religion or religious belief or any political candidate or cause, and the donations must not be of a sexual nature; and
   3. The donations must be appropriate for the grade level in the school where they would be used; and
   4. The donations must be used only for purposes consistent with federal and state law, with WIAA policies, and with school board policies and procedures.
   5. The prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin/language, religion/creed, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation/gender expression, use of a service animal, military service, and all other protected classifications.
   6. Displaying advertising ads on students or staff is prohibited with the exception that students or staff may wear commercial apparel that includes brand logos, names or trademarks that otherwise comply with Policy 6102.
3. Endorsements or recommendations for businesses, services, or products. The District and schools shall not endorse or recommend businesses, services, or products. Student fundraising or other school activities may, however, select items to sell or businesses with which to work without violating this prohibition; e.g., invited guest speakers/authors who offer their books to sell to the audience, items in student stores, and ASB magazine or candy sales (subject to meeting guidelines set in Policy 6700)
4.  Instructional materials which contain business logos or advertising content. Instructional materials, which are otherwise selected in accordance with the appropriate processes for their selection and use and which are of benefit to student learning, may contain advertising content; e.g., magazines, newspapers, surveys, videos, and television and computer access. However, sales representatives or agents selling books, instructional materials or other products are prohibited from soliciting students/staff or from making sales presentations unless they have prior written authorization from the superintendent or his/her designee.
   1. Requests by outside organizations to distribute literature or materials to the students or employees shall be considered by the Superintendent or his/her designee, and may be granted if the requests meet the following criteria:

      i. The item(s) to be distributed must be compatible with district policy, procedures, rules and goals; and

      ii. The source of the item(s) for distribution is clearly identified; and

      iii. The item(s) for student distribution must be of, or contain information of, educational value to students; and

      iv. Advertising on literature or materials will be discouraged. However, if any advertising appears on or with any item(s), it must be in good taste and unobtrusive.

   2. Parent-teacher organizations are considered school agencies for purposes of this policy.
   3. The district reserves the right to decline to distribute any item(s) if, in the Superintendent’s or his/her designee’s sole judgment and discretion, students or employees will not be well-served by it. The Superintendent or his/her designee reserves the right to determine the appropriate method of distribution, as well as the right to decline to distribute the item(s) at all. Further, any item(s) that serves to promote or inhibit religion shall be prohibited.
   4. School-related promotions or advertisement of school-related activities. The traditional fund-raising activities, sales of class rings, yearbooks, photographs, and other activities are not a violation of this policy.
   5. Fund drives or charitable activities by non-district organizations or individuals. No employee shall collect funds from students or patrons for any contest or other fundraising activity sponsored by an outside organization. District students are not to be used for fund-raising for non-district agencies or organizations unless such activity is initiated by the students or school itself; e.g., elementary students deciding to raise money for the zoo’s elephant house. Any exception to this prohibition which would allow students to participate in fund-raising for non-district charities or organizations must be expressly authorized by the superintendent or his/her designee. School fund-raising must also be done pursuant to applicable ASB regulations.

To ensure equity across schools, profit distribution for advertising and/or sponsorship agreements shall be applied by school district officials. For agreements greater than $2500 (per vendor, per year) the District Activities and Athletics Director will determine how those profits are distributed and based upon the scope of the advertisement or sponsorship in order to achieve equity between schools and/or programs. Profits from advertising/sponsorship agreements worth less than $2500 per agreement will remain at the school level according to the Principal's discretion. In instances of sponsorship where advertising results in in-kind services or products for the school or program, these profit/asset distribution procedures will be reviewed by District Activities and Athletics Director as appropriate.

PTSAs and the Bellevue Schools Foundation are not considered outside or non-district organizations under this policy. All requests from non-district agencies, organizations, or individuals to distribute written materials through the schools to students must be referred to the Public Information Office in accordance with Policy 6102.