Niagara Wheatfield sports booster clubs may fall under district supervision

by Ralph Schwarz
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, August 25, 2005

Booster clubs supporting individual sport teams in the Niagara Wheatfield school district could soon fall under the supervision by the Niagara Wheatfield Sports Alliance.

In a presentation given during the Aug. 17 meeting of the Niagara Wheatfield Board of Education, Athletic Director Mark DiFilippo proposed to align the parent-run clubs with the NWSA to allow for better recording of funds and purchases.

“I think it is very important that our boosters fall under the guidelines supplied by the school policies,” he said. “I think it (provides) good checks and balances between the groups, so the coaches, the athletic director and everybody else knows what’s going on.”

The Niagara Wheatfield school district counts about a dozen sports booster clubs that financially support the different high school, varsity and junior varsity teams. Each of the independently operating booster clubs raises funds to purchase equipment or uniforms for its respective team. Unlike the NWSA, which was approved by the school board two years ago, most of the booster clubs are not board-approved or hold public meetings.

“I think that it is important that, although these sports boosters are run by parents, they represent the district,” DiFilippo said. “What goes on, whether we like to know it or not, will come back to us. Not that we have any problems, but I try to be proactive here than reactive.”

Club Still Make Decisions

Under DiFilippo’s proposal, the respective booster club would still have the authority to raise funds and decide how to spend the money. All money in- and outtakes, however, would be monitored by the NWSA, making sure that the booster clubs and the district do not duplicate their purchases for any of the Niagara Wheatfield sport teams.

“Are we taking away the decision making from the parents? Are we taking away the ability to raise their own funds? No, we are not,” DiFilippo said. “They still have the decision-making power where the money should go. If they raise it toward a specific purpose, that’s where it should go.”

District Superintendent Dr. Judith Howard welcomed DiFilippo’s proposal.

“As far as financial accountability, this thing makes good sense,” she said, adding that she understands that booster parents might have reservations about the new concept.

“I think one of the biggest concerns of Joe Doe who is part of any sports booster (club) is that if the organization has raised $10,000, it would get $10,000,” she said. “And (this proposal) ensures that it would. So it is not a place where parents would fear that the money would be pooled and given to a different organization. That’s not the thing.”

Beneficial For District

Howard also pointed out that it would be beneficial for the school district to know what items each booster club purchases for its respective team.

“By knowing what each booster club is buying, we can also spend wisely,” she said. “If the wrestling boosters buy a mat, we would not buy a mat out of the district’s athletic funds but rather spend it on something else, like new uniforms. … So this is really a way of being fiscally accountable.”

Board of Education President Michael Murawski said that if the school board adopts DiFilippo’s proposal, it also would have to initiate a policy that all sports booster clubs fall under the district guidelines.

“Anytime there is an organization that is doing any kind of fund-raisers, there’re always gray areas of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable,” he said. “So far, we never had a problem. But as soon as there is one problem with one group, you’ll end up finding that most groups have the same problems. … Just because there hasn’t been a problem doesn’t mean that everything has been done right.”

Although the school board seemed in favor of the DiFilippo’s proposal, it did not take a vote at the meeting. It is, however, expected to revisit the issue later this school year.

Agenda Items

In other business, the board unanimously voted:

•To approve, upon recommendation of the superintendent, the action items of granting resignations, retirements, appointments, leaves of absences, and other miscellaneous items for administrative, instructional and school-related personnel, as submitted.

Those items included the appointments of Karen Cuddy-Miller as assistant principal at Errick Road Elementary School, effective Aug. 16; Amanda Schultz as science teacher at Edward Town Middle School, effective Sept. 1 through June 30, 2006; Rae Anne Roggow as speech teacher at ETMS, effective Sept. 1; and Kelly Sirianni as math teacher at ETMS, effective Sept. 1 through June 30, 2006.

•To approve, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, the bid award for chips and snacks to The Bachman Company in the amount of $20,530,68.

•To approve, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, 12 fund-raiser requests as submitted.

•To approve the second reading/adoption of amendments to Travel Reimbursement Policy #5340; Meals and Refreshments Policy #5344; Cellular Telephones Policy #5350; and Credit Card Policy #5360. The Board of Education further rescinded Board Policy #6205 (Appointment to Extra Duty Assignments) as submitted.

•To approve, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, seven late private/parochial transportation requests as submitted.

•To approve, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, one field trip request as submitted.

Next Meeting

The Board of Education will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.