Question: With regard to student body fund management, does the district business office have the authority to capture student-raised funds to pay for teacher salaries and/or substitute teacher salaries? According to the ASB manual page 70, salaries are listed as prohibited. Also, with regard to district management of funds, who is the "watchdog" for district business management?
Response: In order for expenditures to be an allowable use of student funds, they must directly promote the general welfare, morale, or educational experience of the students. Also student body funds cannot be used for expenditures that are the responsibility of the district. We are assuming that the teacher salaries and/or substitute teacher salaries that you mention are normally paid from district funds. If so, student body funds cannot be used for these expenditures because this cost is normally the responsibility of the district.
In addition, you asked, "does the District Business Office have the authority to capture student-raised funds?" Remember, since your questions have to do with a high school, this organization is an organized student body and the students are primarily responsible for their organization with the assistance of an advisor. Because of that, the students make the decisions about what fund-raising events they will hold and how they will use the money. Their funds cannot be "captured" by the district without the students allowing that to occur, and then if they agree to consider the district's request of some type of expenditure, the funds still cannot be used to pay for expenditures that are normally the responsibility of the district.
You also ask who is the "watchdog" for district business management of the student body funds. The review capacity is done through a variety of channels. The governing board establishes the parameters for the operations of the district, including student body funds, through board policies. The district's management sets up and monitors the procedures that carry out the policies of the governing board. That's why a comprehensive board policy should be in place for student body organizations so that sound practices are set up and so that all people involved in student body organizations know their unique roles. This would involve the board, the superintendent, the business office staff, the principal, the ASB advisor, the ASB bookkeeper and the auditors. Review pages 3 through 7 of the ASB manual, which specifies the different responsibilities very clearly. If you have additional questions on roles after reviewing these pages, please don't hesitate to ask more questions, as we know that student body organizations are a very complex subject and that many questions exist about the roles of those involved.
3/06/03
