STUDENTS 5135

Student Activity Funds

The Board of Education authorizes student activity funds to be used to finance extra-curricular activities. These funds supplement financial support provided by the Board of Education. Student activity funds are to be raised through projects that do not conflict with the instructional program. These funds shall be expended to benefit the student body directly. As a rule the Board of Education does not approve of carrying large surpluses in student activity funds since it feels that the funds for the most part should be expended for the benefit of the students involved in raising them. The management of student body funds shall be in accordance with Board of Education business practices.

Adopted: April 28, 1975

Administrative Guidelines

Student activity funds are established by the Board of Education (Policy 5135) in accordance with Sec. 10-237 of the Connecticut General Statutes, which is quoted below:

Sec. 10-237. School activity funds. (1) Any town board of education may establish and maintain in its custody a school activity fund through which it may handle (a) the finances of that part of the cost of the school lunch program not provided by town appropriations, (b) the finances of that part of the cost of driver education and not provided by town appropriations and (c) such funds of schools and school organizations as such board from time to time determines to be desirable, which funds may include amounts received as gifts or donations for purposes of scholarships or student loans. Whenever a board of education establishes a school activity fund, it shall designate one of its members or some other person to serve as treasurer of such fund and shall fix his salary, which shall be paid from the regular town appropriation for school purposes. Such treasurer shall be bonded and shall keep separate accounts for each school lunch program, for each driver education program and for each school fund and shall make expenditures from such fund in the manner and upon such authorization as the board of education by regulation prescribes, provided the control of the school funds and the funds of the school organizations shall remain in the name of the respective schools and organizations. The accounts of the school activity fund shall be considered town accounts and shall be audited by the town auditor in the same manner as all other town accounts. (2) The accounts of any public school lunch program, whether maintained directly by the board of education or through an agent, shall be kept in accordance with regulations prescribed by the board of education and may include a petty cash fund on the imprest basis and shall be subject to the regular audit of town accounts as provided in section 7-392. (1953, 1955, S.953d; 1959, P.A. 672, S. 4; 1963, P.A. 493)

Treasurer

The Board of Education, upon recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, appoints the treasurer. Preferably this person will be a member of the professional staff who will be readily available to conduct the business affairs of the school activity fund. The treasurer has the custody of the monies which the Board of Education may see fit to establish under the school activity fund. He/she deposits all monies in a bank designated by the Board of Education. The treasurer issues a prenumbered receipt in duplicate for all funds received and verifies bank statement monthly and prepares annual financial statements for presentation to the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, the Business Manager, and the auditors.

Fund Raising Drives

Moderate fund raising activities may be used to defray the cost of a field trip. Activities such as cake sales, car washes, dances, etc., would ordinarily be permissible. The intent here is to enable relatively small groups of students (10-30) to raise necessary monies. Massive fund raising activities for small or large groups of students are not permitted.

Audits (Independent and Internal)

According to State Statutes the accounts of the school activity fund shall be audited annually by recognized independent auditors. There also shall be an annual internal audit of these funds by the Business Manager.