Board Considers Reining In Gift Horses

The Hillsborough Board of Education is in the middle of rewriting its policy regarding gifts and donations to schools, and some members are concerned the revisions may be looking into the mouths of gift horses.

At Monday's meeting, where six members passed the policy changes on first reading, board member Lorraine Soissson said she though the wording was too restrictive.

"If I was a parent group, I would in every way take this as 'Why waste my time?'—and we can't afford that," she said.

The proposed changes (which are posted on the district website) aim to encourage groups or parents planning donations to contact the superintendent to avoid such issues as when a parent group donated air conditioners to one school—only to find out the units were not usable.

Soisson said she was concerned with language that gives the board control over the ultimate uses of donations, which not always comply with the donors' wishes. The revision to the current policy dating to 1990 would add: "The Board will respect the intent of the donor in its use of a gift, but reserves the right to utilize any gift it accepts in the best interests of the pupils and the educational program of the district."

"I'm thinking specifically of cases where the HSAs have donated whole computer labs and they have taken computers because they were better than the computers at the high school," she said. She added she thought the district should never use a gift provided by parents for one school at a different school.

Board member Greg Gillette said he believed groups need to be aware of the district's needs before making plans for major donations, and noted the policy's changes might cause some to reconsider their plans.

"I think it would somewhat discourage some donations—but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing," he said. "I think you have to be very careful if you're going to donate a computer lab."

Board President Thomas Kinst noted that while the district always accepts donations "provided with the best intentions," they don't always work out that way. 

Consequently, the policy needs to "make it easy to donate" while still enabling the district some flexibility, as well as control. 

"The intent should be that we want to match the intentions of the donor but there's going to be times when it can't," he said.

Members agreed the policy needed to be reviewed further and considered tabling it, but voted instead to approve it on first reading. The board's policy committee can take the discussions into consideration and make changes before bringing it back for a second vote.

"Second reading doesn't have to be at the next meeting—nor do I recommend that it be," Kinst said.