A case study of the role of high school booster organizations in fund raising, governance issues, and personnel decisions

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A CASE STUDY OF THE ROLE OF HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTER
ORGANIZATIONS IN FUND RAISING, GOVERNANCE ISSUES,
AND PERSONNEL DECISIONS
by
Anna Maria Corral
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment o f the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2001
Copyright 2001 Anna Maria Corral
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U M I Number 3065775
Copyright 2001 by
Corral, Anna Maria
A ll rights reserved.
UM I*
U M I Microform 3065775
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A ll rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
ProQuest Information and Learning Company
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P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, M l 48106-1346
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
School o f Education
Los Angeles. California 90089-0031
This dissertation, written by
under the direction o f h&x~Dissertation Committee, and
approved by all members o f the Committee, has been
presented to and accepted by the Faculty o f the School
o f Education in partial fulfillm ent o f the requirements fo r
the degree o f
Anna Maria Corral
Do c t o r o f E d u c a t io n
D a t e
Dean
Dissertation Committee
A A A U.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
LIST OF TABLES iii
ABSTRACT iv
CHAPTER
1 THE PROBLEM 1
2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 16
3 METHODOLOGY 36
4 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF
THE FINDINGS 45
5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS 144
BIBLIOGRAPHY 154
APPENDIX A 159
APPENDIX B 160
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
3-1 Identification o f Districts and Schools 38
3-2 Characteristics o f the Sample 39
3-3 List of People Interviewed 39
3-4 Abbreviations for Interviewed People 39
4-1 Summary o f Research Question 2 - Finance 110
4-2 Summary o f Research Question 2 - Governance
And Personnel 111
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ABSTRACT
This study examined the perceptions o f the principals, teacher/coaches, and
booster presidents regarding the role booster organizations play in fund raising,
expenditures, governance issues, and personnel decisions. The focus of the study
was public high school programs in Orange County, California, with competitive
programs and organized booster clubs. This study serves as a useful tool for
administrators, teachers, and booster clubs to assist them in forming better
relationships and communication skills.
Two research questions were used to focus the data collection: A) What
decision-making roles do booster organizations play in supporting programs? B)
What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness of booster organizations in
accomplishing their roles?
A case study methodology design was used to explore current perceptions of
decision-making powers in booster organizations in the areas of finance, governance,
and personnel decisions. The study was based on case studies of four sites
purposefully selected for the involvement and number o f booster organizations on
campus. At each site, interviews were sought with the assistant superintendent of
business, principal, the teacher/coaches having responsibility for the specific
programs, and members o f the booster organizations. A series of structured
interview guides were used to focus each interview to maintain. Selected results of
each interview were analyzed and discussed.
The data indicated that finance decisions were made by booster presidents
and teacher/coaches; the administration had no role in these decisions. The data also
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indicated that the districts in this study had no board policy regarding boosters;
however, boosters were governed internally by a set of bylaws. Also, boosters in
study had no official role in hiring, evaluating or firing personnel; boosters did
provide salaries for additional staff. Finally, the data indicated that open
communication was identified as the key factor to promote the effectiveness of
booster organizations in accomplishing their roles.
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CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
California public schools continue to face financial problems due to budget
limitations. Often a school finds that it needs financial support beyond that provided
through the state and school district According to Burke and Picus (2001), outside
funding opportunities are often available from non-profit private and corporate
foundations, local businesses, community, and parents.
Parents need to become engaged in the learning process o f their child. They
should be contacted frequently by instructors and made a partner in the education of
the student (Tucker & Codding, 1998). Research has continually shown that parental
involvement in the instructional program and in extra-curricular activities can be
linked to student achievement (Fullan, 1993). Parents have assumed a larger role in
recent years. Thousands of dollars are raised each year by parent organizations to
send a school sports team, band or choir to a variety of unique educational
experiences. California ranks near the bottom in per pupil spending in comparison to
other states, and the attraction o f an additional resource support is a tremendous gain
to public schools (Selbe, 1997). The new requirements for the California
Compliance Review (CCR) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) review, require a level o f parental input into school plans and a parental
understanding o f student achievement and expectations. Many schools encourage
input from parent representatives as efforts are made for reform and school
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improvement School leaders make attempts to involve all stakeholders such as
parents, booster groups, foundation organizations, community businesses, site
councils, and special interest groups, in the decision-making process.
Background o f the Problem
Funding Cuts
Prior to 1972, finance in California schools was simple and dependable. The
major source o f school funding o f K-12 education was local property tax, before any
spending limits were in place. In 1975, California had its first tax limitation
measure, which had little effect on schools or local government The legislative
measure allowed a decrease in home owner assessment with resulting tax loss at the
local level made up by the state. By 1978, property values were rising rapidly, in
many cases faster than personal income. To compound the problem, the state had
accumulated a large surplus. Although the problem was economic, it was also
politically visible, Howard Jarvis took the opportunity to offer a solution in
Proposition 13 (McKinley, 1984).
On June 6,1978, Proposition 13 passed by a 68% margin (Miller, 1983).
This triggered a sequence o f events including school finance legislation that sent
California school districts into a state o f fiscal distress. Several actions took place to
change school funding such as: the Serrano v. Priest decision, Proposition 13, the
school reform movement, Proposition 4, and Proposition 98 (Goldfinger, 1998). The
result of these actions placed public education in financial distress.
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In California, real spending per pupil for education grew 13% between 1980
and 1990; however, the national growth in this time period was considerably more.
California, has not kept up with other states in per pupil spending. There are several
explanations, according to Picus (1991) “including the taxpayer revolt o f the late
1970’s, the fierce competition for funds to pay for a variety of public services across
the state, the demographics o f the state’s population, particularly its children, and
voter preferences for other services.”
By the early 1990’s, per pupil spending in California ranked 41st in the
Nation, and was more than $1100 below the national average. California per pupil
spending has recently begun to recover with the improving economy, and in 1996,
started the process o f closing the gap with the national average (Goldfinger, 1998).
Program Reactions to Funding Cuts
California schools were not affected immediately due to a large state surplus;
the impact came approximately five years following the passage o f proposition 13 in
1978. Cuts were made in several areas. Prior to 1978, summer programs included
remedial and enrichment classes; after Proposition 13, many enrichment classes were
canceled and the only courses offered in the summer were for seniors who needed to
remediate graduation requirements (Vincent, 1984). Administrators were busy
prioritizing programs to determine which programs would be the first to be reduced.
Cutbacks on staff were made to minimum levels, other cutbacks included: reduction
o f supplies, maintenance and capital outlay; reduction in support services and leaves
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of absence; and freezes on hiring and early retirements. Many curriculum cuts were
made, and the majority those cuts were to the elective courses. Education may be
better off in basic subject areas with more core offerings, but it is worse off in art,
music, health, and electives (Vincent, 1984). The legislative response to the Serrano
v. Priest case established a system o f revenue limit controls that placed a maximum
amount o f general purpose state and local revenue that a district could receive.
Schools in a low revenue area received the most money at .2% per year, not enough
to keep up with the rising inflation. Two-tenths of 1% is not enough for
superintendents and school boards to maintain their current educational programs, let
alone adequately maintain the current extra-curricular and athletic programs. High
revenue limit school districts received less money, creating an annual loss of -7.6%
(Miller, 1983).
Following budget cuts, schools were forced to find creative funding for
programs that were no longer received state funds. Community members and
parents would rather have administration cut before programs such as athletics or
music program. Sports and extra-curricular programs began to charge participation
fees for the more expensive programs despite the fact the California constitution
guarantees the right to a free public education. In addition, Title V o f the California
Code o f Regulations (California Constitution) prohibits charging fees except when
expressly authorized by law. Private foundations began to be formed to accept
financial contributions dedicated for school or district use. These foundations take
an enormous amount of time and resources, schools needed an easier answer to the
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financial stress. Parents emerged, forming booster organizations to support their
youngsters and give them the opportunities to participate in athletic and extra
curricular programs (McKinley, 1984). These parent organizations played a vital
role in supporting athletics and extra-curricular programs.
Parents Role In Maintaining Extra-Curricular Programs
In examining school district budgets, it is difficult to find where extra and co-
curricular classes are funded.
The major portion of the education budget is spent on
instruction; but today, a large portion o f instructional
expenditures is spent outside the regular classroom on services
for special needs students.... Districts also provide a host o f
noneducation services. Districts run buses, heat and clean
buildings, serve meals, and administer a complex system. As a
result, only a small portion o f the education dollar is spent on
regular education instruction (Odden & Picus, 2000).
In response to this schools are becoming more dependent on booster organizations
and communities to raise money for projects that they cannot otherwise afford.
At El Toro High School in Orange County, the athletic department has three
funding sources: the district, Associated Student Body (ASB), and the booster
organizations. The district provides $5,000 per year, the ASB contributes $15,000,
and the booster club raises over $100,000 per year to support the athletic programs.
According to Sheri Ross, the women’s athletic director at El Toro High School
(personal communication, May 3,2000), some sports could not survive without the
financial support o f the booster organization. After the 1994 Orange County
bankruptcy, the district had to cut back on lower level sports, such as Junior Varsity
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water polo, tennis, and golf. The Booster Club, not wanting to see these teams
eliminated, contributed the funds to support these programs. After the bankruptcy
problems were resolved, the District no longer would pay for these sports, and the
boosters have continued to fund these programs and have found themselves a
permanent solution to what they thought would be a temporary problem.
Parents as Support on a High School Campus
Financially supporting sports and programs on a school campus has
empowered many parent groups (Burke & Picus, 2001). Recent major legislation
such as Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the reauthorized Elementary and
Secondary Education Act, has made parent involvement in their children’s education
a national priority (Kessler & Baker, 2000). Districts nationwide are being
encouraged to reexamine their parent involvement policies and to demonstrate
innovative initiatives in order to obtain federal education funds. One example is that
Title I money is now contingent on the development of school-family agreements in
which families and schools declare their mutual responsibility for student learning
(Brennan, personal communication, May 2,2000).
School accountability and accreditation is also contingent on parental support
and involvement. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
requires that all stakeholders be involved on committees and in the decision-making
process in school policies (CDE, 2001). Without this involvement, high schools
cannot earn their accreditation status.
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Role o f Booster Organizations on a High School Campus
Often a school finds that it needs financial support beyond that
provided through the state and school district to design and
implement a program. Outside funding opportunities are often
available from non-profit private and corporate foundations,
other governmental agencies, local businesses, community
volunteers, and parents (Burke & Picus, 2001).
Parent booster organizations provide funding for special programs that state funding
cannot support Unlike state funding there are very few, if any limitations on how
booster organizations are governed and how they spend their funds.
Some districts have guidelines for parent organizations in board policy.
In the Los Alamitos Unified School District (LAUSD, 1993), board policy states,
“the governing board recognizes that parents may wish to organize clubs for the
purpose of supporting district or school programs through fund raising. The board
supports such activities and welcomes parental and community interest and
participation.” The board policy outlines the regulations for fundraising activities
and money collection. Other district guidelines are very detailed, such as those
presented in the Arcadia Unified School D istrict The AUSD (1994), defines the
purpose of booster clubs:
The Board recognizes and encourages parental and community
involvement and support of district and educational and extra
curricular activities. To facilitate that support, parents may wish to
organize clubs for the purpose o f raising fimds to contribute to such
programs. The Board supports such activities and welcomes parental
and community interest and participation.
School support groups such as PTA, parent clubs, booster clubs, and
other organizations shall operate independent o f the school district
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(For purposes o f this regulation all references to such groups shall be
termed “booster clubs’ * regardless o f the name actually used by the
organization).
Most school districts have not addressed booster or parent organizations at
all, while some have only a paragraph acknowledging their existence, Southern Kern
Unified School District (199S) is one example. Southern Kern USD board policy
states, “School support such as PTA, parent advisory groups, booster clubs, etc.,
shall operate financially and independent o f the school district" This does not
provide much leadership from the district for parent boosters to operate, and as a
result boosters in this district and in many others, operate the best they know how.
Most booster organizations operate with a philosophy statement and a set of
bylaws that have been handed down to them by their predecessors. These rules
govern the activities within their organization. There are no current provisions in
the California Education Code that require finances of booster organizations be
audited. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some high profile problems. For
example, in December of 1999, a high school in Ventura caught two booster
members embezzling approximately $44,000 from the organization (Wolcott, 1999).
Scholarly research in the area o f booster clubs is limited. Many factors or
elements can be identified as being common to the effective use o f booster
organizations. The role of a booster organization and the elements of its success may
vary form school to school, depending on a variety of factors including the financial
state of a district or the number of years in existence o f a particular booster
organization (Cassidy, 1994). Due to conflicts that sometimes exist between
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schools and booster organizations, it is important to have a deeper understanding of
their relationship (Selbe, 1997). Cassidy (1994) states that one o f the most critical
steps in laying the foundation for effectively utilizing booster clubs is the
clarification o f its purpose along with the drafting of bylaws that would incorporate
this purpose and ensure its compatibility with existing Board o f Education
philosophies. A staggered replacement system for officers is helpful, so that there is
not a complete annual turnover of experienced club officers. An active high school
booster organization can result in a spirited and cooperative relationship between the
school and the community (Gillis, 1992).
The student’s educational experience will improve as a result of parent
involvement. This can occur with booster organizations when there is a clear
understanding and agreement regarding the role o f the boosters in the school
program (Selby, 1997).
Statement o f the Problem
California has undergone major changes in how schools are financed
Athletics and extra-curricular activities have had to fight for their existence in
schools. Because many programs rely on the financial support o f booster groups,
schools may feel pressure to acknowledge and react to their desires regarding
personnel decisions. Schools must be able to balance the involvement of their
booster club in the various school programs, while realizing that they are still
ultimately responsible for the direction o f the programs. The student’s experience
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will improve if school programs can fully benefit from parental involvement This
can happen when there is a clear understanding and agreement regarding the role of
the booster organization in finance, governance, and personnel decisions.
Little is known about the intended and actual role a booster club plays in
supporting extra-curricular and co-curricular programs in California’s public high
schools. Governance o f booster organizations is unclear, who is responsible for
holding booster organizations accountable for their actions. There is no clear
direction provided by districts or site administration for accountability in financially
supporting extra-curricular and co-curricular programs in California public high
schools. Therefore it is difficult to define the impact that a booster organization has
on an extra curricular and co-curricular program.
Questions to Be Answered
The research questions to be addressed by this study are:
1. What decision-making roles do booster organizations play in supporting
programs?
2. What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness o f booster
organizations in accomplishing their roles?
Importance o f the Study
Education faces a crucial time with the complexity o f school reforms. More
pressures and demands are being placed on the schools to improve student’s
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academic performance. Partnerships between school and parents must be in place to
improve academic success. Parents want their students to succeed in schools, and
schools want for parents to be more involved in the educational process o f their
students (Odden, 1995). How to accomplish this task is the concern o f many
educators and parents.
Booster organizations provide a venue for parental involvement at California
public high schools. By nature of the program, parents are involved by supporting
the participation of their children in extra rehearsals, practices, games, performances
and functions such as fund raising events. Once parents are on campus for positive
events, they support the school and become advocates of the educational process.
This study can serve as a valuable tool, in providing high school principals
and teachers with information that will help them better understand the dynamics and
expectations of parent booster clubs. This study will enable administrators and
teachers to address issues and identify expectations o f booster groups before they
become areas of conflict and, hopefully, build better relationships with all parent
groups on campus. This study will aid principals equipping them with the
knowledge necessary to create effective policies and procedures for booster
organizations. The strategies established can be utilized to minimize problems
arising from lack o f direction or guidelines. This study may be used as a tool for
schools to review and revise existing bylaws, regulations, and board policies
concerning booster organizations.
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Assumptions of the Study
The following assumptions will be made about the investigation:
1. The respondents’ answers accurately depict their true practices.
2. The respondents are representative of the entire group o f participants.
3. Booster clubs raise monies to support high school programs.
4. Principals accept the fact that monies raised by booster organizations are a viable
means o f supplementing the operating budget within the program they support.
Delimitation of the Study
The following represents limitations of this study:
1. The population is limited to Southern California public high schools.
2. The population is limited to public high schools with two or more competitive
organizations or sports and functioning booster clubs.
Limitations of the Study
1. The reliability and validity o f the instrument designed for use in this study affect
the outcomes of the study.
2. Values and attitudes o f the respondents may influence responses to the interview
at the time o f the study.
The generalizability of the findings is limited to the schools in which this research
was conducted.
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Methodology and Research Design
The study involves a case study methodology designed to explore current
perceptions o f decision-making powers in booster organizations in the areas o f
finance, governance, and personnel decisions. The study is based on case studies of
four sites purposefully selected for the involvement and number of booster
organizations on campus. At each site, interviews were sought with the assistant
superintendent o f business, principal, the teacher/coaches having responsibility for
the specific programs, and members o f the booster organizations.
A series o f structured interview guides designed was used to focus each
interview to maintain consistency with the guiding questions o f the study. Selected
results o f each interview were analyzed and discussed.
Definition of Terms
For the purpose of this study, the following terms are defined:
Booster Club President: An elected officer designated to represent the booster
organization.
Booster Group/Organizatinn/riiih- Organizations composed o f parents, community
members, staff, students, and other interested parties for the purpose of supporting
specific schools or school activities for the benefit o f students.
Bylaws: The definition and/or parameters that define the purpose of the group and
rules by which they are governed.
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Coaches/ Staff: Additional personnel hired to assist in specialized areas. Positions
can include, but are not limited to, primary and assistant athletic coaches, drum and
marching instructors, dance teachers, choreographers, and drill designers.
Co-Curricular Program: Programs within the high school that are not core subjects
but receive academic credit for university entrance. These programs can include but
not limited to: band, choir, drama, and speech.
Decision-making process: Issues pertaining to governance, personnel, fund raising
and expenditures o f booster organizations.
Extra-curricular activities: Programs within the high school that are not core subjects
and do not meet any academic university credits. These programs can include but
are not limited to: athletics, marching band, and color guard.
Expenditures: How money is spent within the student program or by the booster
organization.
Fund Raising: The practice of organizing and implementing activities where the
purpose is to generate funds for a specific student program.
Governance: The management practices of the booster organization.
Personnel Decisions: The hiring, evaluation, and termination of staff and coaches.
Principal: The chief executive officer o f an individual school.
Teacher/Coach: Credentialed individuals sponsoring the student program such as
band, athletics, or choir.
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Outline o f the Remainder of the Study
The remainder of the study is organized as follows: Chapter 2 incorporates an
intensive review o f the literature in the area of school finance and parent booster
organizations. Chapter 3 contains a discussion of the research methods and
procedures and the design o f the study. Chapter 4 includes an examination of the
data and findings o f the study based on information gathered in the case studies.
Chapter 5 presents a summary o f the findings of the study. It also presents
conclusions and recommendations based on these findings. The study concludes
with the bibliography and appendices as appropriate.
Summary
Athletics and extra-curricular programs are more dependent on funds raised
by booster organizations then academic programs. As a result, booster organizations
have gained a significant influence in the high schools, and in some cases, have
exercised control over decision-making issues. This study will examine the
perceptions o f the principals, teacher/coaches, and booster presidents regarding the
role booster organizations play in fund raising, expenditures, governance issues, and
personnel decisions. The focus of the study will be public high school programs in
Orange County, California with competitive programs and organized booster clubs.
This study will serve as a useful tool for administrators, teachers, and booster clubs
to assist them in forming better relationships and communication skills. The end
result will be positive support and improved programs for students.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction
This section presents a literature review on the financial difficulties
California's public schools face and how parents began to play a vital role in school
finance. Booster organizations emerged as a result o f lack of funding for athletic
programs and extra-curricular activities and the conflicts that sometimes arise
between school, teacher/coaches and parents involved in the decision-making
process.
Booster organizations have become the financial vehicle for the existence of
co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Without these parent groups, many
activities would not exist. The evolution o f high school booster organizations can be
traced to three different factors: (1) financial, (2) legal, and (3) socio-economic.
Financial
Education Reaction to Funding Cuts
The United States system represents a combination of local autonomy and
central control. In California, Proposition 13 threatened local autonomy by the
limitation of localities to raise their own taxes (Rabinovitz et al., 1989). Proposition
13 affected local communities directly in five areas: (a) the reduction o f fire and
police protection, (b) the availability of funds to make city repairs, (c) the reduction
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o f funds for schools, (d) the increased taxes on the insurance industry, and (e) the
investment income and assets o f insurance companies (McCann, 1978).
The effects of tax limitation, equity of spending allocations, declining
enrollment, and mainstreaming, raised a concern that education was lacking. Special
education students were encouraged to be enrolled in classes with regular education
students, putting additional stress in the classroom. A survey o f 104 educators in
1980 showed that many teachers felt the public was unhappy with the performance
o f local schools, teachers and administrators were working harder under worsening
conditions for fewer rewards, and many teachers indicated plans to leave the
profession (Calfee & Pessirilo, 1980). Five years after the passage of Proposition 13
it was evident that there were teacher reductions leading to larger class size, fewer
sections o f classes offered and decreasing students’ scheduling options (Catterall &
Brizendine, 1984). Legislation requiring proficiency tests for graduation also
affected course offerings by increasing the number of core classes required to
graduate. In addition there were losses in materials, equipment, and support
services. Specific course casualties included music and driver education, and many
offerings that extend beyond core requirements were eliminated (Catterall &
Brizendine, 1984).
In the early 1990’s many school districts were still feeling the pinch of
budget cuts. The Board of Trustees o f the Acalanes Union High School District in
Contra Costa County voted to lay off 14 teachers and chop its athletic budget by one-
third to stave o ff a $1.9 million budget deficit The La Canada Unified School
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District in Los Angeles County cut back classes and sports programs and thought to
close its school cafeteria to save $750,000. Palo Alto High School in the Bay Area
eliminated some classes such as Greek mythology and film studies. Tamalpais
Union High School District in Marin County eliminated some music, English, and
foreign language classes. Because districts rely on die state for most of their
financing, when enrollment declines so do state contributions. According to Odden,
the wealthiest suburbs were in the worst shape; they did not like what they are
getting from the state (cited in Congbalay, 1990).
Prior to Proposition 13, the Los Angeles Unified School District had
instrumental and choral programs at every school, a regular music teacher assigned
to every school, and a traveling music teacher. In 1990, the district had fewer than
25 instrumental music teachers and 72 traveling music teachers assigned to 360
elementary schools. The remaining 60 elementary schools were on a waiting list to
be included in the music program. Because o f the decline in available positions,
college students avoided the field making it even harder to find qualified teachers
(Enriquez, 1990).
Layoffs, summer-school cutbacks and the elimination o f music programs are
among some o f the cuts by the Santee School District, which faced a 2.55 million
deficit in 1992. Many school districts in California suffered the same fate. The
Board o f Trustees had to review and set priorities for what programs to spare to
balance their budget (Harpster, 1991).
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Discretionary Budget Choices
School finance as a field o f study is slowly beginning to answer the question
o f what happens to the dollars once they reach the districts (Odden & Picus, 2000).
Money is allocated to the school districts from the state budget A majority of the
funding is categorical and is pre-designated for special programs. According to
Busch and Odden (1998), data are not systematically collected at the school level to
study the accountability of the expenditures of these funds. Funds are not
specifically allocated for extra-curricular activities by state guidelines.
Extra-curricular sports are not included in the regular instruction, therefore
funding these programs can be complicated. Sports are considered school-specific
and the site determines the athletic budgets (Odden & Picus, 2000). Districts have
no obligation to fund athletics, according to Dr. Brennan, Director of Instruction in
the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) (personal communication, May
2,2000). Many districts allocate funds to support the athletic program, but there is
no specific design or formula used. Funding of athletic programs is at the discretion
of the individual district and school. Dr. Brennan stated that since athletics are a
vital contribution to the school system, funding these programs can only be
beneficial to the school and district; however, because there is no money specifically
designated for them, funding can be difficult
In regards to athletics and extra-/co-curricular activities, there are no direct
categorical funds available to them. Categorical funds are specific in purpose, and
support core academic programs. There are funds that assist in the purchasing of
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equipment for curricular courses, such as Physical Education, which is not to be
confused with Athletics. Physical Education is a course required for graduation, and
athletics involves competitive teams that are optional for students (Stuart, personal
communication, May 2,2000).
In regards to co-curricular activities such as instrumental or choral music,
some expenses are covered by curriculum money. These activities are placed in the
funding cycle and receive money for supplies every seven to 1 1 years (depending on
the district). The problem arises when activities, such as the marching band, want
funding. They do not fall under the same guidelines as the instrumental music
classes; marching bands do not meet any curricular requirement. Marching bands are
more expensive and more visible to the public and are forced to be self-supporting
because they are not entitled to the same funding as other curricular areas (Dr.
Shelton, 2000).
Roles o f Categorical and Non-Categorical Funding with Respect to Sports and
Extra-Curricular Activities
Funding provided to the sites is available in two categories, categorical and
non-categorical. A large portion o f the funds are categorical, and spending
guidelines are provided by the stated to support special programs such as Title I and
Special Education programs. They also support directives by legislation such as the
20 to 1 in 9th grade English classes. Site principals have the responsibility to oversee
categorical spending and to comply with the guidelines provided to them by the
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state. Non-categorical funds are left for the site principal to designate to support the
school (Dahlem, 2000).
A look at teachers employed by content area over the span o f 15 years shows
the placement o f instructional emphasis. In 1981,65.2% of secondary teachers were
in the core academic areas o f English, mathematics, science, social studies, and
foreign language, while 10.2% were in music and physical education (PE). In 1996,
following the release o f A Nation at Risk, the core academic teachers increased to
72.3%. Music and PE staffing increased to 10.4% (Odden & Picus, 2000).
In 1998,63% o f total spending o f all expenditures were spent directly on
classroom services, and only 50% were spent on specialized and classroom teachers.
Data indicates that about two-thirds of expenditures were on direct, classroom
services and about 31% was spent on other site-related items - site administration,
site instructional support (including curriculum support and staff development)
operations, maintenance, and transportation. “Only 6% was spent on district, county,
and state administration” (Odden & Picus, 2000).
Categorical funds are earmarked for a specific purpose, such as Title I funds,
grants, and School Improvement Programs (SIP). These funds come with their own
guidelines on spending. Athletics and co-curricular activities can qualify for some of
this funding if it meets the requirements of the specific category. An example would
be if an instrumental music teacher requested for SIP to pay for attendance at a
Music Educators Conference, the entrance fees, hotel and travel expenses would be
provided; however, if funds were requested to take students to perform at the
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conference, the request would be denied. The purpose for SIP funds is staff
development and not to be used for student travel. Although the students are
receiving an excellent educational opportunity, the requirements o f the funding are
very specific on how the money is spent (Brennan, 2000).
Non-categorical funding is often referred to as the Principal’s budget Much
of this money is earmarked by the district with “recommendations” o f where or how
to spend i t For example the district may request that $5000 go to athletics to assist
in the cost o f officials. While this money is only a dent in the $12-15,000 it can cost
an average high school, the district is attempting to defray the co st The large
amount of non-categorical funds is usually spent on basic maintenance o f an office
and school. There are many demands that a principal faces that are not covered
through district funding, these items can include immediate facilities repairs, Xerox
machines, telephones, and paper items, such as toilet paper, paper towels and copy
paper. The amount remaining is divided among the department chairs. Most schools
now have some sort o f site based decision-making group to assist in the allocation of
these funds; however the principal is ultimately responsible for the accountability of
the spending.
At the site, the responsibility o f categorical and non-categorical funds falls to
the principal to ensure that all funds are spent in the appropriate place, and to ensure
that the funding requirements are m et The principal has several staff members
under him/her to assist in these tasks, such as Title I, and School Improvement
Program (SIP) coordinators. Most schools employ an accounts clerk just to oversee
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the expenditures o f the Associated Student Body (ASB). The ASB accounts
generally are audited once a year by the district and are accountable to the State for
their books.
At the district level, there are personnel, such as Directors and Assistant
Superintendents, who oversee district budgets and are accountable to the
Superintendent and the Board of Trustees. The Board, in turn, is liable at the state
level for the expenditures o f categorical funds (Brennan, personal communication,
May 2,2000). Grants are available from a variety of State sources and are given to
school sites with a specific in purpose and come with instructions for allocation.
Similar to categorical funding, there are personnel that see to the proper allocation of
the funding.
Parent organizations vary from district to district Many districts do not have
any guidelines for money accountability for parent organizations; however; most
booster and parent organizations do require an annual audit PTA organisations
require an annual audit that is presented to their State organization. Boosters are not
organized in any type o f network and are only accountable to themselves.
Booster Organizations frequently make donations to the site and can
recommend that the donation be allocated towards a specific item. It is up to the
principal’s discretion on where the money is to be spent It is rare that a principal
would go against the booster organization’s recommendation, unless the
recommendation was not consistent with board policy. Community donations are
treated in a similar fashion.
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Community and Parents Reaction to Funding Cuts
Foundations. Many school districts in California enjoy the latest in high-
tech systems and other luxuries due to the efforts o f nonprofit education founda-
tions-private fund-raising groups often established by parents to provide an infusion
o f funds to school districts. According to Marge Schneider, executive director o f the
Fountain Valley Education Foundation in Central Orange County, “Our purpose is to
enhance the quality o f education, but with recent budget cuts, we have to now look
for more than providing icing on the cake. We may have to start providing the cake”
(Marcano, 1991). In the Newport-Mesa District, the Mesa Mentors Foundation was
formed in 1982 in response to Proposition 13. During the 1994-95 academic year, the
Corona del Mar High School Foundation raised over one million dollars for supplies
and refurbishing the campus. They have raised more than $650,000 to help maintain
the programs that remain. Athletics and academics were severely cut and parents did
not want to lose all their programs (Erdmann, 1996).
Parents who choose to donate to foundations say they are just trying to
improve schools and restore basic programs. Over 150 educational foundations have
originated in California since Proposition 13. In 1987, fund-raisers conducted by
these foundations netted over 1.4 billion for public schools — more than twice the
amount contributed by the state lottery (Seligman, 1988). Concerns have been raised
that private education foundations might violate Serrano v. Priest which requires
equitable funding o f school districts. According to Carolin Boitano, board president
for the California Consortium o f Education Foundations in 1991, foundations do not
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raise enough money to significantly influence a district’s budget, even in the more
affluent districts (Maicano, 1991). Attorney Sid Wolinsky, who filed the Serrano
lawsuit, said the educational foundations take the pressure off the state to provide
adequate money for schools (Seligman, 1988). As welcome as the foundation
support is, school districts do not see private donations as a way to balance budgets.
Maintenance of the foundations requires hard work mi the part of the adm inistration
and parents (Seligman, 1988).
Fees. Many school districts have learned to work around budget problems by
shifting more of costs to parents through a series o f fees. For one family in
California, a “flee and public education,” stated in the California Constitution, will
cost S30 for parking, $100 to rent a clarinet, $70 for sports insurance, $50 for class
pictures, $40 for physical education clothing, and $34 for a PTA membership. In
addition, it will cost another $350 to send their son on a field trip with the band in the
spring. Fees vary from district to district but exist on most campuses to make up for
budget deficits (Coeyman, 1998).
In Corona del Mar, the instrumental music teacher writes a letter to his
parents at the beginning o f the year explaining that he prefers not to have the
students fund-raise, and they send him what he needs to maintain his program. The
program has downsized considerably in the last 20 years. The school no longer has a
marching band, only a concert group and an orchestra, but the parents provide up to
$5000 a year to maintain the existing music program (Banks, 1991). In 17
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elementary schools in the Thousand Oaks district, fourth through sixth graders must
pay $90 a semester to leam to play a musical instrument There is some question
whether fees violate the state Constitution's guarantee o f a free and public education.
In Hartzell v. Connell (19841 the California Supreme Court determined that it is
illegal to charge for any educational program, even if it is an extra-curricular activity
(Davis, 1991). Fee based programs create a division between poor and affluent
students. Thousand Oaks has attempted to bypass the law by funding the program
through the Arts Foundation and the students do not pay the school directly.
However, the program is taught during school hours. Parents in the community have
fought for the program, while neighboring districts have lost their music programs
entirely due to budget cuts. Parents are willing to look to other options to provide for
their children what the school district cannot (Davis, 1991).
Whv Public High Schools in California are Dependent on Communitv/Parent
Generated-Funding for Certain Programs
The major portion o f the education budget is spent on
instruction; but today, a large portion of instructional
expenditures is spent out side the regular classroom on services
for special-needs students...Districts also provide a host of
non-education services. Districts run buses, beat and clean
buildings, serve meals, and administer a complex system. As a
result, only a small portion o f the education dollar is spent on
regular education instruction (Odden & Picus, 2000).
Across the country, parent booster organizations have been created to provide
the extra money and support services that marching bands, athletics, and other
programs need. These groups, which have been hailed as models of parent
involvement, have shown themselves to be adept at organizing and raising money
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(Manzo, 1997). A study was done to investigate the dollar value o f goods and
services received through fundraising efforts by local schools in 'Virginia. Over
$31,000 was raised for high schools to be used on instruction, athletics, capital
outlays, class activities, and bands. At the secondary school level, special-interest
groups, such as booster and parent organizations raised the major portion of
supplementary funds. It was also found that schools located in wealthier school
districts received a significantly greater percentage o f supplementary funds from
fund-raising activities, community organizations, businesses and private industry
(Pettit, 1987).
Many communities feel that extra-curricular activities are an important part
of student’s lives and have had to fight to keep their programs. In 1994, the Montana
state legislature cut its share o f funding to public schools by 4%, raising concerns
about what would be cut and whether extracurricular activities would be affected. A
survey o f Montana school districts found that many had cut extracurricular activities.
Participation fees, fundraisers, booster clubs, and ticket sales provided extra revenue
for some districts to maintain their programs (Morton, 1995). In Los Altos,
California, band director Don Gunderson states that his band program has survived
because o f strong support by parents and alumni (Enriquez, 1990).
Legal
There are many legal factors that contribute to the origination o f parental
support; parents support the best interest of their children and fight for their right to a
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fair and equal education. California Education Code section 14000 states “the
system o f public school support should provide for essential educational
opportunities for all who attend the public schools. Provision should be made in the
financial plan for adequate financing of all educational services.” The Code also
declares “that there is a need to include the arts in the school curriculum as a means
of improving the quality of education offered in California's public schools and
reinforcing basic skills, knowledge and understanding” (section 8810). When it
comes to funding the programs such as the arts and athletics, all that can be found are
rules and regulations for accepting outside funding and charging fees, which some
groups feel they need for survival.
The California Supreme Court held in Hartzell v. Connell (1984), that a
public school district may not charge fees for such educational programs because
they are considered to be extra-curricular activities. The court concluded that an
imposition o f fees as a precondition for participation in educational programs offered
by public schools on a non-credit basis violates the free schools guarantee o f the
California Constitution and 5 C.C.R. section 350. These hold true even when some
provisions are made to provide the services to those who are unable to pay. Unlike
home-to-school transportation, there is no specific authority to charge students who
are participating in extracurricular school activities for transportation (Chidester,
1995).
Charging a participation fee it is prohibited by the provisions of the
California Constitution, 5 C.C.R. section 350, and as described above in the Hartzell
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v. Connell case. The charging o f fees was more specifically scrutinized by the Court
o f Appeal in Driving School Association o f California v. San Mateo Union High
School District (1992). This case examined whether driver training fees could be
charged. The decision was similar to the Hartzell case, when the course provided
credit towards graduation and the school could not charge a fee. In the school’s
view, the critical consideration was that the training classes were offered on school
premises to classes composed o f high school students, and these classes were
therefore an integral component o f the public education offered to high school
students. The classes were extracurricular and not mandatory; nevertheless, the
California Supreme Court determined that such activity fees could not be charged to
participating pupils.
One cannot discuss the legal ramifications of athletics and booster support
without the mention of Title IX and its impact on secondary schools and support
systems. School boards and school administrators should be aware of these
developments when making decisions about the future o f their athletic programs.
Claims o f discrimination on the basis of sex are not new to educational
institutions. Throughout the 1990’s lawsuits were being brought forward and won by
female students with increasing regularity. Shortly after the enactment of Title IX o f
the Education Amendments of 1972, athletic programs for girls and women
blossomed. In the current era o f financial constraints, however, many educational
institutions have cut back on efforts to expand opportunities, and in some cases have
retrenched existing programs. These actions have resulted in claims of
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discrimination, expensive litigation, costly settlements, and court control over
athletic programs.
“Title IX o f the Education Amendments of 1972,20 U.S.C. section 1681, et
seq., prohibits discrimination on the basis o f sex in educational programs or activities
which receive federal financial assistance” (Kelly, 1997). Although Title E X was
interpreted to be program-specific by the Supreme Court in Grove Citv College v,
Bell. 465 U.S. 555 (1984), with the passage o f the Civil Rights Restoration Act of
1987,20 U.S.C. section 1687 (1988), Congress made it clear that all programs and
activities o f an educational institution are required to comply with Title IX if a
program receive any federal funding (Scott et al., 1995). Lack o f funding will not
excuse failure to comply with Title D C if the program is challenged (Kelly, 1997).
Socio-Economic
According to Todd and Higgins (1998), “Understanding relationships
between school and parents can help explain the failure of many attempts to improve
parental involvement in schools.” An effective teacher can open lines of
communication with primary caregivers. This is done through active and consistent
outreach, telephoning, written communications, inviting parents to volunteer in the
classroom for an activity, and parent conferences. The most difficult parents can
sometimes become the strongest supporters when given the opportunity to be
involved in the educational process. Parental involvement has positive effects on
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student achievement, and their attitudes toward learning and self-esteem (Jonson,
1999).
Studies were done on athletes to determine if parental support influenced the
success of the athlete. Research found players who reported a high level of parental
support tended to report greater enjoyment o f sports and view athletics as a more
important part o f their lives (Hoyle & Leff, 1997). This holds true for any activity or
academic study as well. Results support the idea that parental involvement and
parental control over their children are dependent on each other in adolescents.
Higher parental involvement combined with higher parental control was related to
the internal success to adolescents (Trusty & Lampe, 1997).
As important as parental involvement is, research suggests that parental
involvement is not consistent in the different socio-economic areas. Neighborhoods
with highly educated, middle-class parents sometimes support — or even insist on —
an emphasis on better educational programs for their children (Kohn, A., 1998).
Affluent parents o f successful students are, perhaps unknowingly, furthering the
educational agenda in their schools. These are the schools where the booster
organizations are flourishing.
The feeling that schools ignore the concerns of parents and the public seems
to be at the root o f current dissatisfaction with education. Not many states require
teachers or administrators to study parent involvement or to develop skills in
promoting parent involvement. Educators perceive media “as giving the public only
negative information about education and that critics come out o f the woodwork to
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block reform” (Pipho, 1994). Direct participation of parents has made parental
beliefs, values, and perceptions more central in the lives of professional educators; it
also represents opportunities for principals (Murphy, 1998).
Parents are an important part o f the educational process; students excel when
there is parental involvement It is important for the schools to solicit parental
support (Brennan, personal communication, 2000). According to Zellman and
Waterman (1998) children of more involved parents were significantly less likely to
be rated as having learning problems. They further express that it is important to
make parents feel more comfortable in the school environment Programs that
include parents in the student’s environment improve student productivity (Zellman
& Waterman, 1998).
Factors that Facilitate or Impede the Development of Booster Organizations
The same factors that exist to support boosters also may be the same factors
that hurt them. There are many obstacles involved in creating an effective booster
organization. The three main obstacles are (a) differences in how funds are to be
spent; (b) boosters do so much for their organizations that they sometimes feel as
though they have more political, or governance power than they do; and (c) because
boosters raise funds to support programs, they feel they should be included in
personnel decisions.
Effective communication is a must between principals, teacher/coaches, and
booster groups (Selby, 1997). Community and school relations are important to the
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proper functioning of the school and are best accomplished when principals keep
stakeholders informed and involved in the operation o f the institution. There are
several considerations for principals when dealing with parent organizations; they
need to feel needed and valued. Principals must realize that parents are learners and
need to be taught the nuances and climate of the school. Parents must also have an
understanding of the legal ramifications and proper school procedures if they are to
have valuable input Often boosters have their own ideas on how monies they raise
should be spent (Dodd, 1995). Boosters often raise funds for projects they feel
benefit the program. Problems occur when ideas for those projects are not discussed
with the teacher or coach in charge of the program. The principal or teacher needs to
serve as a proactive facilitator with booster organizations. Booster clubs have
offered monetary support o f high school programs, but these same groups use
excessive control in determining the direction o f the various programs. An
anonymously written article (1994) describes a booster organization that spent $1200
on equipment the football coach had no intentions o f ever using.
The major potential area o f conflict is centered on power. Clear procedures
for delineation must be made regarding where the final decision-making authority
lies, and due process should be articulated to those stakeholders who are dissatisfied
(Selbe, 1997). There are many examples of boosters successful at achieving
tremendous goals with the cooperation of the administration and teacher/coach. At
Valencia High School, a music facility was built costing $250,000. The money came
from state redevelopment funds allocated to the school by the district Music
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director, Wayne Nelson stated that it is a testimony to the kind o f political clout that
a strong independent booster organization can bring. The booster organization was
able to lean on the board of trustees to allocate all the reconstruction funding towards
the new facility. Nelson states that the board of education is aware that it is
politically astute to support this kind o f program; they don’t want to upset a powerful
group o f band boosters (Mott, 1989). At Esperanza High School, administrators
were under fire for their decision to remove their head boys’ basketball coach. The
coach claims that it was the complaints o f four parents who are members o f the
booster club that led to his dismissal (Osterman, 1996). Similar situations are not
foreign to high schools; principals and teachers make decisions based on the strong
influence o f booster parents. When parents belong to the booster club that is raising
substantial funds for the program, it is sometimes difficult to make a decision free of
that bias.
Ehman (199S) found that the major area of conflict centers on educators'
attempts to maintain boundaries between their professional domain and parents'
involvement The conflict usually focuses on differences between parental and
educators’ goals, struggle for control, and a lack of trust on both sides. It is essential
that responsibilities for the teacher/coach in charge o f the activity, keep policy
decisions within a program clear, and separated from fund raising and other support
activities o f the booster club organization (Olson, 1993). Better-coordinated,
cooperative efforts can be initiated through the specification process, and an
overlapping o f school and booster club responsibilities would be significantly
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reduced. Perhaps by more clearly defining their roles and responsibilities, programs
and boosters clubs could leam to peaceably coexist, working together to provide a
positive and productive experience for the students (Anonymous, 1994).
Summary
California has undergone major changes in how schools are financed.
Athletics and extra-curricular activities have had to fight for their existence in
schools. Because many programs rely on the financial support o f booster groups,
principals may feel pressure to acknowledge and react to their desires regarding
personnel decisions. Schools must be able to balance the involvement o f their
booster club in the various school programs, while realizing that they are still
ultimately responsible for the direction o f the programs. The student’s experience
will improve if school programs can fully benefit from parental involvement This
can happen when there is a clear understanding and agreement regarding the
respective role o f the booster organization in finance, governance, and personnel
decisions.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter presents the methodology used to conduct this study. The
purpose o f this study is to investigate the perceptions that principals, teacher/
coaches, and booster members have about their role in the booster organization and
the decision-making process. This case study is based on research conducted at four
sites purposefully selected for the number of booster organizations on the campus.
This study uses a qualitative analysis to provide a meaningful description o f the role
o f booster organizations in relation to finance, governance, and personnel issues.
The case study was chosen as the most appropriate design since case studies are most
effective when a subject can be located that is typical o f many other cases (Borg &
Gall, 1996). This chapter describes the design of the research study, the
methodology, instrumentation development, data collection, and data analysis.
There have been few studies that have concentrated on the impact o f booster
organizations on high school programs. The current financial situation o f California
high schools has caused the infusion o f funds from booster groups into extra and co-
curricular programs (Selbe, 1997). With the increased need to fund raise has come
the question o f ownership and power over high school programs. Areas of finance,
governance, and personnel have come under the influence o f stakeholders other than
administrators. This study seeks to determine if there is a difference in the
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perception o f who should make decisions concerning the areas of finance,
governance and personnel.
The literature review led to the development and refinement of research
questions designed to identify the roles o f the principal, teacher/coach, and booster
members in the decision making process. The following research questions guided
this study:
1. What decision-making roles do booster organizations play in supporting
programs?
2. What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness o f booster
organizations in accomplishing their roles?
Sample and Population
This study is limited to four comprehensive public high schools in Orange
County. The criteria for selection of study sites and interviewees were based the
number o f booster organizations present at the different sites. An attempt was made
to use a balance of different socio-economic (SES) areas to enhance the reliability o f
the study. Two schools are identified as high to middle SES area and two in a lower
SES area. Two school districts are used, each containing one high/middle and one
lower SES. Each selected school in the multiple-site study met the criteria o f having
more than one active booster organization on their campus.
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Selection o f the Schools
The nature of this case study dictates district and individual confidentiality be
maintained. Information is presented which could be construed to be critical o f
individuals, district policies and procedures. The naming conventions used are
intended to prevent any breech of confidence and to facilitate the reader’s
understanding o f information. The following system is used in Chapters 4 and 5 and
is demonstrated in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1: Identification of Districts and Schools
District A District B
Low SES HS1 HS3
High SES HS2 HS4
Selection o f the Interviewees
The number of interviewees was limited to maximize the amount o f data
collected from each interview. Table 3-2 demonstrates the characteristics o f the
sample and the number o f individuals involved with the data collection process.
Table 3-3 identifies the people interviewed at each site and Table 4 includes
abbreviations for the interviewees used in Chapter 4.
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Table 3-2: Characteristics o f the Sample
Participant Grom?
Number
Sampled
Location Instrument
Assistant Superintendent
2 District Office Interview Guide
Principal 4 Site Office Interview Guide
Teacher/Coach 7 Site Classroom Interview Guide
Booster Members 7 Site Classroom Interview Guide
Table 3-3: List o f People Interviewed
HS1 HS 2 HS3 HS4
Principal Principal Principal Principal
Band Director Band Director Choir Director Basketball Coach
Football Coach Athletic Director Athletic Director Athletic Director
Band Booster Band Booster MBC President
Basketball Booster
President President President
Athletic Booster
President
Girls Athletic Booster
President
Choir Booster President
Table 3-4: Abbreviations for Interviewed People
Principal 1 Principal from HS1
Principal 2 Principal from HS2
Principal 3 Principal from HS3
Principal 4 Principal from HS4
BD1 Band director form HS1
FC1 Football coach from HS1
BD2 Band director form HS2
AD2 Athletic director form HS2
BD3 Band director from HS3
AD3 Athletic director form HS3
CD3 Choir director from HS3
BC4 Basketball coach from HS4
AD4 Athletic director from HS4
BB1 Band booster president from HS1
AB1 Athletic booster president from HS1
BB2 Band booster president from HS2
MBC3 Master Booster Club president from HS3
GAB3 Girls athletic booster president from HS3
CB3 Choir booster president from HS3
BB4 Basketball booster president from HS3
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The four public high schools chosen for this study each have more than two
active booster organizations dedicated to supporting the school program. The booster
organizations may support any o f the following activities: athletics, football, band,
choir, and drama.
Description o f the Schools and Districts
District A is a Union High School District located in Orange County,
California, and serves a student population of approximately 30,000 students in
grades 7-12. The district is comprised of 8 comprehensive high schools, 8
comprehensive junior high schools, 4 continuation/alternative education high
schools, and 1 magnet school serving grades 7-12. The district is growing in
enrollment The district spans over four cities and serves a diverse population o f
students.
District B is also a High School District serving grades 9-12 in five schools.
Four comprehensive high schools and one continuation school educate the 10,000
students. The diverse population o f District B services three cities. The Orange
County district like many others, is growing in size, and anticipates more growth in
the coming years.
HS1 is located in the center o f District A and is considered a low SES
populated school. The student body is primarily minority, with 58% Hispanic, 30%
Caucasian, 5% Black, 5% Asian and 2% other. More than half of the students
receive free or reduced lunch and breakfast This school is over 50 years old and has
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seen a great deal of change in the SES of the neighborhood and of the school. This
was once a predominately Caucasian school and has slowly changed over the last 20
years. The school has a rich history o f excellent programs and has m aintained many
of these programs though the support of parents, alumni and community. The
football team has been successful at m aintaining winning seasons and has a strong
booster organization of parents, alumni and community members. The band
program has maintained large numbers. Even during the declining years of the
1980’s, the program has maintained both quality and quantity. This program is
strongly supported by a large parent booster organization.
HS2 is located at the West end of District A and is the newest high school in
the district The homes surrounding the industry rich area are large and fairly new.
The student body is primarily Caucasian, with 56% Caucasian, 39% Asian, 3%
Hispanic, and 2% other. Most students come from a double income household and a
community that is involved in their schools. There are many parent organizations to
support both academics and activities. The athletic boosters just completed
installation o f the new swimming pool last year. The band and pageantry program is
the largest in Orange County and has toured the world representing the United States
in many venues. They travel to Ireland every three years. Both HS1 and HS2 are
International Baccalaureate schools.
HS3 is one of the older schools in the county with a rich history and tradition.
HS3 is sim ilar to HS1 in demographics and SES. The 1850 students are 48%
Hispanic, 42% Caucasian, 6% Asian, 3% Black, and 1% other. More than 60% o f
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the student population receive free or reduced lunch. This high school has low
parent involvement for academic school functions. They have few parents attend
school events such as Back to School Night or Open House. This is not the case for
athletic events. Football and boys Varsity Basketball games are well attended by
parents and community.
HS4 is located in a scenic area in the hills overlooking Orange County, like
HS2 it is surrounded by large homes, many with horse property. The parents are
dedicated to making their school the best it can be. The variety of student
accomplishments are displayed in the main office, filled with athletic CIF plaques on
one wall and academic awards on the opposite wall, many from Pentathlons, Debate
Clubs, Mathletes and even a Distinguished School Award. The 2200 students are
53% Asian, 33% Caucasian, 9% Hispanic, and 5% other. Booster organizations in
this school are primarily athletic; many parents help out in different areas, but are not
organized groups.
Instrumentation
The methods used to gather information is consistent with the qualitative
nature o f the case study, and the primary information gathering method used was the
interview. A structured interview guide was designed to focus each interview and to
maintain consistency with the guiding questions o f the study. Prompts were based
on the guiding questions of the study. Sequencing o f questions was purposefully
determined to maximize effectiveness. The early questions were related to personal
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attributes o f the informant and the general characteristics of the school. More
specific questions relative to the decision-making issues were placed in the later
portion o f the interview.
Field Testing o f Instrumentation
The interview guide was field tested in a series of interviews with a group of
administrators, teachers and parents o f a school not used in the study. After
reviewing field notes, the guide was revised and organized to the sequence o f
questions to improve the process. The final draft was again tested to refine the
interview instrument.
Data Collection
Data collection for the case study took place in the Spring 2001 semester. In
March 2001, a proposal was sent to the District Office o f each prospective district to
request permission to study high school booster organizations. The proposal
included an overview and purpose o f the study, research questions, the design o f the
study, and the Interview Guide. Permission was granted to study all four selected
high schools.
Data Analysis
The results of each interview were reviewed and analyzed. Major themes
were sought regarding the perceptions o f assistant superintendents, principals,
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teacher/coaches, and booster presidents relative to the study. The researcher also
identified strategies used by the respondents for intervention and prevention of
conflict
Summary
The study utilized a multiple-site case study methodology designed to
examine the relationship between principals, teacher/coaches, and booster club
members have about the level of decision-making authority booster clubs should
have and do have, in personnel, governance and finance. A total o f 19 interviews
were held to collect data regarding current perceptions of decision-making in booster
organizations. Interview guides emphasizing clarification and elaboration probes
assisted in data collection. Data analysis included reviews of the interview
transcripts, observation notes and pertinent documents provided by informants, the
creation o f summary tables and charts o f information gathered in the interview
process.
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CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE FINDINGS
Introduction
Booster groups are organizations composed o f parents, community members,
staff, students, and other interested community members for the purpose of
supporting specific schools or school activities for the benefit o f students.
This qualitative study was designed to examine issues related to the
relationship between principals, teacher/coaches, and booster organizations in
California’s public high schools. The researcher conducted interviews with
representatives o f four selected high schools within two districts in Orange County.
The study addressed (a) fund raising, (b) governance, and (c) personnel issues.
Answers were sought to the following questions:
1. What decision-making roles do booster organizations play in supporting
programs?
2. What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness o f booster
organizations in accomplishing their roles?
The Research Data
The research utilized a case study methodology at four sites selected for the
socioeconomic status and number o f active booster organizations at the individual
sites. The sample districts were both public high school districts in Orange County,
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California. A structured interview guide was developed to assist the researcher in
data collection. Data collection for the study included on-site interviews with the
assistant superintendent in charge of business, principals, the teacher or coach in
charge o f the school program supported by a booster organization and booster
presidents. The interview guide was used in the data gathering process and care was
taken to use both clarification and elaboration probes (Patton, 1980) to increase
access to relevant information. Data analyses include reviews o f the interview
transcripts and from the interview process.
Research Questions and Data Analysis
Research Question 1: What decision-making roles do booster organizations plav in
supporting programs?
Research Question 1 asks, “What decision-making roles do booster
organizations play in supporting programs?” To answer this question, interviews
were conducted based on the Interview Guide. Assistant superintendents in charge
o f business, site principals, teachers or head coaches in charge o f the activity with
the booster club, and booster presidents were interviewed.
The topics included in this section are: (1) A historical perspective and
background o f the district, schools, programs and interviewees; (2) Finance section
o f interview questions; (3) Governance section of interview questions and;
(4) Personnel section o f interview questions.
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Historical Perspective and Background
Three o f the four schools interviewed were older, established schools with
tradition and years o f alumni support The most recent school was built in the late
1970’s and the tradition is still in the m aking. Most booster organizatio n s were
created as an organized group o f parents who followed their students, watched them
as spectators, and provided them with support
District Level Interviews
District A. The Assistant Superintendent o f Business Affairs in District A,
began the interview by saying he was not an educator, but a businessman. He comes
from 25 years in the private sector where he joined the field of education six years
ago. This is his second year in District A, and says he does not plan to leave this
district. It is the first place he has worked that had a family atmosphere.
The assistant superintendent’s views on booster clubs are positive but
apprehensive. He believes that the purpose o f the boosters is to provide support
where the district cannot More specifically, in the areas where the district does not
provide financial support, he identifies the role o f boosters to assist the program by
raising funds to accomplish whatever goals they have se t An example would be
traveling expenses. The district does not provide the schools with the financial
support to take lavish trips, yet many athletic teams and bands travel to locations
such as Hawaii or Canada for tournaments and performances.
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District B. The Deputy Superintendent o f Business in District B has been in
the district for almost 30 years and is retiring at the end o f the school year. He
taught in the district, and was a principal at one o f the sites before coining to the
district office. He has been in his present position as Deputy Superintendent for
seven years.
The Deputy understands that many activities would not happen without the
assistance from the booster organizations. The district makes a strong attempt to
supply the programs what they need, but cannot afford to pay for all the “extras” that
make a program special and unique. He identified the role o f the booster
organization as one that enhances a program. They provide transportation costs
when the district cannot, they also feed the athletic teams prior to games, and give
awards to the athletes.
School Level Interviews
School 1. The principal at HS1 has been in his position for five years. This
school was established in the 1950’s with a strong football tradition that has been
maintained throughout the years. The band program has a long tradition of
excellence. The director graduated from HS1 and he is only the school’s second band
director. He has been in his position for 20 years. The students attending the school
are descendents of graduates; therefore, school pride runs deep throughout the
generations. The SES o f the school and neighborhood has changed a great deal in
the last S O years. Upon its opening, the high school represented a high SES area in
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the district it is now a middle to low SES area. The demographics o f the school have
slowly changed and are now 58% Hispanic, 30% Caucasian, 10% Black and 2%
other.
The head football coach began his teaching career at this school 15 years ago,
and he has coached basketball, wrestling, and football. After being assistant varsity
football coach, he was named the head football coach 6 years ago. The football
coach described how the football boosters began by being fans at the football games
when a discussion began about football programs at the games, they then took the
responsibility to print them. Soon they were planning social events before and after
games. However, when the funding became scarce, the boosters took on a new role;
one o f helping the program to survive. The football coach explained that he
sometimes has to ask his boosters to supply equipment, something that the school
used to take care of. Most recently the boosters purchased some replacement
helmets. He attributes two factors for the change: Proposition 13 and the change in
SES. The population o f the school now reflects a lower SES.
School 2. HS2 recently celebrating its twentieth anniversary. The
neighborhood is surrounded by large newer homes and is near several industrial
parks. The principal is in his first year at this school. He has been a principal for a
total o f 7 years. He was moved from another school in the district when the previous
principal retired last year. The fine arts and athletic programs at HS2 are flourishing.
A large percentage o f students are involved in a plethora o f activities offered, all
with their own booster support group. Parents in this community are very involved
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in the education o f their children and support them, in a variety o f ways. The make
up o f the school is 56% Caucasian, 39% Asian, 3% Hispanic and 2% other. The
booster and parent organizations have always been a strong component o f the school
culture.
The band director is in his seventh year at this school. Prior to HS2, he
taught at another school in the district and came to this school with hopes of building
a program. The band program is the largest in the district They are an award
winning program, considered one of the best in Southern California.
School 3. The organization of the parent involvement is very unique and
innovative at HS3. The principal of 4 years explained how he was able to distribute
support for all his activities in a fair and equitable point system to be explained in a
latter section. HS3 is similar to HS1 in demographics and SES. The 1850 students
are 48% Hispanic, 42% Caucasian, 6% Asian, 3% Black, and 1% other. The
principal explained that when the programs began to suffer from lack o f money a
few years ago, the parents designed a system to help all the activities in need of
financial support They created the Master Booster Club (MBC). This is the
primary parent support organization for all activities. Other smaller booster
organizations do exist, but are all represented in the MBC. The purpose o f the MBC
was to create an equity o f service through a point system, to all the extra-curricular
programs and athletics when parental help was at a minimum, and still is.
School 4. HS4 is located in a scenic area in the hills overlooking Orange
County. Like HS2, it is surrounded by large homes, many with horse property. The
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parents are dedicated to making their school the best it can be. The variety of
accomplishments are displayed in the main office, filled with athletic CIF plaques on
one wall and academic awards on the opposite wall, many from Pentathlons, Debate
Clubs, Mathletes and even a Distinguished School Award. The 2200 students are
53% Asian, 33% Caucasian, 9% Hispanic and 5% other. Booster organizations in
this school are primarily athletic; many parents help out in different areas, but are not
organized groups.
Booster Leyel Interviews
Booster 1 . The football booster president described the original reason for
the booster organization as a fun activity for the parents and alumni to get together to
watch football and support the game. Now, it is run as a financial support
organization for the football team. Because the sport is so expensive, they often help
out in replacement o f old equipment, such as helmets, pads, and uniforms. The
organization has a few dedicated members, but the enthusiasm o f the alumni depends
on the type o f season the team is having. The president o f four years has had some
difficulty getting parents involved in the program.
The band program from the beginning was designed to financially support the
activity. The amount o f support has grown through the changing years o f the school.
In the beginning, the parents raised the funds for the annual summer band camp in
the mountains and provided meals at the tournaments and festivals. The current
band president explained that today, they pay for the transportation, entrance fees,
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costumes, props, instruments, and half the cost o f uniforms. The individual students
now pay for the mountain summer camp. The booster club works hard to maintain
the tradition o f the large and successful performing group. “It gets more challenging
every year,” says the second year president o f the band boosters.
Booster 2. The band booster organization was formed to support the band
program. The first years of the school were steady, but the program was never as
large as the parents had hoped. Seven years ago with the new director, a fire was lit
in the program. The marching band grew from 90 students to 2S0 students in four
years. The parents take pride in the program and work hard to get the large group
prepared on competition days. Although the program is large, the booster president
is disappointed that more parents are not active participants.
Booster 3. The MBC has solved many of the schools money problems,
according to the MBC president The organization is eight years old. Before, all the
programs were having a difficult time raising money. All the activities seemed to be
working against one another, and no one was successful. The MBC is a core group
o f parents that want to see all the clubs get their fair share. Each sport and activity is
asked to send a parent representative to the meetings. Money is distributed on a
points system. This system has benefited many o f the smaller sports that don’t have
a lot o f parent support
Booster 4. The athletic program has a tradition of supporting the school’s
teams in any way they need it If the head coach needs something, all he needs to do
is ask and the parents do what they can to supply it. The football booster president is
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also a member o f the wrestling boosters, and has no problem soliciting parental
support Parents do not necessarily like to work fundraising events, but if they need
to write a check to do their part, they are more than willing.
Finance
The booster organizations are best known for their financial contributions to
athletic and extra-curricular programs. This study examined how much the boosters
contribute to the programs at the four schools interviewed. Questions were asked
regarding types of fundraising events, money expenditures accounting and auditing
procedures.
Cost o f Running a Program
Interviewees described what is provided financially by the district and what
boosters are responsible for. Also discussed is how much it costs to maintain the
school programs and how the funds are obtained and the interviewees perception of
the boosters decision-making roles in the cost o f running a program.
District A. The assistant superintendent explained that in comparison to what
the district spends on a school, what the boosters contribute is minimal. However, in
examining what is spent on an individual program, they can fund up to 50% o f the
total program budget Athletic programs receive quite a bit of support from the
district, and the boosters provide mostly extras, such as trips to elaborate
tournaments out of state and awards banquets. The programs that really benefit from
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the booster organizations are the activities programs, such as band and choir. The
boosters, depending on the program, raise a majority o f the spending budget for
especially the marching bands. The district only provides transportation for the
marching bands to attend the home football games, any other tournaments and
competitions that they are involved with are not funded by the district In an ideal
situation, the district would be able to provide more financial support to the
programs. However, he feels that the boosters give parents a positive venue to
support the students in their learning environment He feels strongly that there are
things boosters do provide that are the responsibility o f the parents. The example
used was the band boosters that supplied each individual student with weekly private
lessons with a qualified teacher on the specialized instrument The assistant
superintendent felt that lessons were the individual responsibility of the parents— they
should pay for their child to study privately. He stated “ 1 paid for my daughters
piano lessons for years, this should not be the school’s or the booster’s
responsibility.” When asked about equality, he replied that if lessons were a priority
in the home, then the family would make sacrifices to provide lessons for the
student He felt students would probably take the service for granted and questioned
the validity o f the lesson program.
District B. According to the deputy, booster organizations supplement the
total program budget What they supply is whatever the activity chooses to do above
and beyond what the district provides. For athletics, they assist in funding o f the
summer camps, and extra trips they may take. The boosters provide a great deal of
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financial support to their perspective activities, according to the deputy
superintendent
School 1. The principal states that depending on the program, the boosters
raise anywhere from 5-75% o f the total program budget according to the principal of
HS1. The athletic programs do not need to raise the amounts the arts programs do.
The band program especially needs funds for salaries and equipment The band
director explains that the boosters raise 50% o f his total budget, which amounts to
approximately $50,000 a year. The other 50% is raised through student’s fees,
which is collected and monitored by the boosters. They charge each student $300
per year to be in band, the students can fundraise for their fees. Very little is
supplied from the district The football coach has a different situation because the
boosters operate independent o f the football program. If he has program needs, he
discusses it with the booster president, otherwise, the school maintains his budget
School 2. The principal o f HS2 explains that the district does an adequate job
of supplying the basic necessities for the program. The athletics receive a great deal
of support and the band program even receives funds on a rotation with the other
schools in the district for band uniforms. Funds are provided for transportation costs,
not for all events, but there are many events district wide that are provided by the
district for the fine arts, and the support for the arts is growing. The boosters
provide approximately 20-25% o f the total budget, which translates to $40-50,000.
More is raised for the large choir and band programs. They are very active and
travel extensively to compete and perform. The band director concurred with the
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principal but also stated that he would like to see the district provide them with an
appropriate place to perform. Both the band and the choir programs are forced to
rent large theaters outside their communities to have their concerts. There is not a
facility in their community large enough to hold their programs. The band director
stated that his boosters provide him with 70% o f his budget and the remainder 30%
is raised through student fees. They charge students $300 to participate in the band
program.
School 3. The principal believes that because o f the lack of parental
involvement in his community, the Master Booster Club has enhanced many of the
programs on campus. The MBC raised $15,000 to enhance the programs on campus.
He is aware that this amount is minimal to what the programs need, but these are
funds that they would not normally have. The athletic director is grateful to the
assistance the MBC gives to the teams, but is concerned with the rising costs to run
the programs. The district does fund the teams with adequate staffing and most of
the basic equipment But he would like to have some o f the nicer updated equipment
that some o f the other schools have, that are supplied by their parent programs. The
athletics director stated that the MBC has supplied many o f the funds lacking from
the school budget, but would like to see more financial support from the district,
especially in the area of transportation. He explained that he believed that the district
should supply transportation for all athletic events, league and non-league. If the
teams are representing the school, then the district or the site should pay for the
transportation costs. The choir director also commented that the boosters provide for
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him funds to hire an accompanist at his performances, an expense that the district
should provide, but does not
School 4. According to the principal, the athletic boosters raise a small
percentage o f the total budget, possibly S1-3,000. The district provides 90-9S% o f
the total athletic budget The boosters provide the “frills,” such as banquets, awards,
and items that are not necessities for the program. The band also have boosters,
however, most o f their funding is from the coke machine profits. The athletic
director, who oversees all the budgets for the teams, feels that the district provides
most o f what the teams need.
Both the basketball coach and the athletic director agree with the principal
that the district is able to provide them with many of their basic needs. The
equipment, maintenance, uniforms, and transportation costs are all the responsibility
o f the school and their different resources. The boosters do handle the football
program and the proceeds go toward a tournament trip for the teams. They usually
travel, and the boosters offset the cost to the students. The extra trips, such as
tournaments in San Diego, are appropriate ways for the boosters to help out with in
funding.
Booster 1. Two booster presidents were surveyed at this school, one stated
that he is not aware o f the school budget and believes the two budgets should not be
co-mingled. He does his best to raise as much as possible and attempts to meet the
needs of the programs. The band booster president stated that the boosters are
responsible for 50% o f the budget every year and knows to the dollar how much the
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school provides, the students provide and how much the boosters provide. He
believes the school should support the band more in the area o f transportation, and it
should not be the responsibility o f the boosters to pay for trips when the band is
representing the district
Booster 2. The band booster president understands that a school’s budget is
limited and sometimes needs to be enhanced. That is where parents can help their
children, by supporting the school. She feels that the school does an adequate job o f
supplying the basic needs of the students. However, there is more to school than
books and she wants her children to enjoy their high school experience while they
get the best education possible. Both her children are in accelerated courses and she
believes that their academic success is the result of balance between study and play.
She is never concerned about where her children are as long as they are in the band
program. That is why she and several other parents have no difficulty financially
supporting programs such as the band program. The band booster president is
responsible for what is approved in the budget The director reviews with the
executive board the budget, and what is provided by the school, student fees, and
booster funds. They then concentrate what they are responsible for.
Booster 3. The MBC president understands that the $15,000 is a start in
assisting the programs and would like for more parents to be involved to contribute
more. However, the reality is that parents in this community do not get involved and
cannot afford to just write a check. She believes the school is funding what they can
and is receiving more funds for the teams. Idealistically, she admits that it would be
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great if the district provided more financial support, but understands that the funds
are just not available.
The president o f the girl’s athletic boosters, a sub-booster group, feels that
their teams are well funded, but would like to have the funds to replace aging
equipment and update older uniforms that the district does not see as an urgent need.
Funds are also needed to transport students to non-league games. The district
charges the booster organizations 10% above district cost to transport students to
events they do not provide.
Booster 4. The basketball booster president feels that he provides little to the
necessary budget to run the program. However, he is aware o f another team where
the boosters provide transportation costs and equipment because the school did not
have the necessary equipment to build the program. He feels fortunate that the
basketball program is well established and the boosters are given the freedom to
provide more of the extras to the program and not the essentials, like equipment and
uniforms.
Summary (Cost o f Running a Program- )
A common thread with all interviewees is the desire for the district to
contribute more to the athletic and co-curricular activities. The role o f the booster
organization in the cost o f running a program is larger in the fine arts than in
athletics. The assistant superintendents believe the district provides the programs
with the necessary funds to run the extra-curricular and athletic programs. The
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principals interviewed do not feel the district provides adequate funding to these
programs. Most coaches interviewed feel the athletic programs are adequately
funded, however the teachers interviewed felt the financial support from the district
lacked in the necessary basics, especially in transportation, personnel and supplies.
Booster presidents interviewed all felt the district did not adequately fund the extra
curricular and athletic programs. District A appeared to have a more global
perspective of programs when interviewed. Administrators were aware of funding
problems in athletics and in extra-curricular activities and could list the individual
problems. District B was focused primarily on athletic programs, although there are
several other types o f booster organizations that exist on their campus. At HS4 there
are several academic parent support groups that were never mentioned by the deputy
superintendent or the principal.
Fundraising Events
Discussed in this section is who makes the decisions regarding booster
fundraisers. Who decides what events take place, who plans the event, should
students be involved, and where are the proceeds spent
District A. The boosters do not ask the district permission regarding
fundraising events, and it is better that they don’t. Legally the boosters are an
independent organization and the district has no authority over the actions of the
organization. Although it is strongly suggested that boosters inform the site
administration o f their events, he is aware that the boosters rarely communicate with
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the school. The boosters, although independent, still represent the school and the
district and in the event thqt an event goes wrong or is determined inappropriate, the
district is ultimately responsible. The site principals are strongly encouraged to
monitor booster activity for this reason.
District B. Boosters are given autonomy when it comes to fundraising events
according to the deputy superintendent They are encouraged to seek the advice and
approval o f the site administration, however, it is not necessary because legally it is a
separate organization from the district The district does not want any responsibility
in the decision-making process regarding fund raising activities of the booster
organizations. The schools do not communicate their booster activity to the district,
nor does the district ask for the information. If the district is aware, the district has
an obligation to respond. The position of the current board is that it is not in their
political interest to get involved in booster affairs.
The ASB accounts are closely monitored to make sure that all the events are
appropriate for students. The boosters are asked not to use students in their
fundraising events. O ff the record, the deputy is aware that students are used to raise
money for the boosters, but does not want to know to what extent He is aware that
many booster organizations depend on students to assist and that events such as
tournaments require manpower to make the event successful. Students are not to be
used for certain fundraising activities, such as selling raffle tickets because it is
considered gambling. As long as the district is not aware o f the activity in an official
capacity, then action does not have to take place. Problems arise when parents begin
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to complain, but they will seldom complain when they are the recipients o f the
wrongdoing. Depending on the action o f the booster organization, the district could,
at worst, disband the organization. The deputy explained that when boosters are not
following regulations, they work with the site principals in attempt to correct the
action and prevent the incident from occurring in the future.
School 1. The decision-making process for fundraising events, to the
knowledge o f the principal, is a joint effort between the boosters and the teacher or
coach in charge. The boosters are required to approve any function bearing the
school name or logo with the administration. He claims that the boosters are very
cooperative in this area. He communicates with the teachers and coaches what is an
appropriate fundraising event and anything beyond what has been discussed, is
reviewed by the school administration. Most larger booster programs will calendar
their events on the master calendar and the activities fundraising calendar to
encourage school and staff support It is to the booster’s advantage to communicate
with the school. One organization recently hosted a car sale that generated over
$1000 in one day for their program.
The band director stated that a majority of the fundraising events are annual
events, and very little is done different The various activities primarily include 2
tournaments; a field tournament, and a winterguard tournament These are the
largest fundraisers, the winterguard tournament raised $5000, and the field
tournament raised over $10,000. These events take a lot o f planning and manpower.
The Ways and Means officer and her committee are in charge o f planning all the
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events, from candy sales to the tournaments. If the committee has a new fundraiser,
they propose the idea to the booster board for approval.
The football coach stated that the boosters have been successful running the
same major fundraisers for years. The primary events for them are the football
program, where they sell ads and sponsorships and 50/50 chance tickets at the
games. Occasionally they will sponsor other activity, but these are the activities that
are proven to raise money for the organization. The president usually comes to me
with an idea, and says, “I'd like to try this.” I don’t have any problem with the
organization that supports my team. If they want to try something, and the request in
not unreasonable, they should do i t They are the volunteers.
School 2. The fundraising events are determined in a joint decision of the
boosters and the coaches. The boosters currently make a majority o f the decisions in
the athletic program, which the principal is trying to change. He believes that the
coaches should have control, not the parents. The events are usually annual events,
such as hosting tournaments, running snack stands, raffles, and food sales. The
athletic director explains that the boosters assist in hosting an annual golf tournament
that benefits all of the athletic departments, and the individual sports hold their own
candy sales or car washes.
The band director explains that they do several fundraisers during the year.
The number of events depends on the amount o f money necessary to meet their
budget Last year the band took a large trip out o f the country and the boosters
needed to raise several thousand dollars. Therefore they held more fundraisers, and
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got very creative. During a normal year they hold 3-4 rummage sales, run a
fireworks booth, host a festival and a field tournament, and have food booths at local
community events.
School 3. The MBC has two major fundraisers a year, a golf tournament and
the concessions at football games. The events are executed solely by the MBC. The
events are accomplished by the work o f the boosters. The school principal explained
that these two events are instilled in the culture o f the school and are responsible for
the funds raised. Sub boosters raise money by raffles, garage sales, dinners, and
hosting tournaments. If the boosters want a different event, it has to be approved
through the teacher or coach in charge of the booster organization.
Sub-boosters, which are smaller organizations to support a specific program,
such as choir, raise money by raffles, garage sales, dinners, and hosting tournaments.
These events are associated with a specific activity or sport, such as choir or
baseball. The choir director explained that he believes that the fundraising events
should be a joint effort between the booster organization and the teacher. He feels
that the involvement of the students is important to have ownership o f the program.
Students who work hard to raise money to maintain the program will work harder to
make it a quality program. The director and his boosters work together to develop a
calendar o f fundraising events. They draw mostly from past experience, and know
the preferred candy of the campus. Parents and students alike, work at selling the
merchandise o f the month. The athletic booster states that m ost o f his coaches
support the MBC by encouraging parents to work their events to raise money for
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them. To do a fundraiser solo is time and effort that many part-time coaches don’t
have the time for. The design of the MBC really helps out in this area; the parents
can raise money for the program without the trouble and headache o f running their
own fundraiser.
School 4. The principal responded that the boosters were involved in a
variety of fundraising events. “Wherever the scope of their imagination takes them.”
They sponsor candy sales, dinners, car sales, and they sell ads for elaborate programs
for the major varsity sports. The PTA handles the snack bar and sub-lets it to the
different booster organizations. All benefit from sharing the responsibility. The
decision of what fundraisers the boosters act on depends on the organization. Each
coach is given the authority to run their own boosters to suit the personality of their
program.
The basketball coach claims that he tells the boosters what needs to be done,
they are very supportive and they work closely with him. They have their set
fundraisers, a majority o f the funds are brought in by sponsorships for their program.
The coaches, boosters, and the students begin every season by meeting a quota of
sponsorships. The athletic director explained that not all sports are as tight as the
basketball program. The wrestling boosters make most of the decisions and the
coach goes along with them. The wrestling coach has given the boosters the
authority to make decisions without him.
Booster 1. The fundraising events according to the band booster president,
are the responsibility o f the parents. The director should not have to concern himself
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with the mechanics o f the fundraising events; he should be able to concentrate on the
education o f the students. The ways and means officer is responsible for putting her
committee o f volunteers together and they plan the details of all the fundraising
events. The booster club, as a whole, determines the types of events. Examples of
the fundraising activities are hosting tournaments, dinners, “chance tickets” (the
politically correct term for raffles) and food sales. Students are used in the larger
projects, such as tournaments because so many people are required to properly run
this event The board and the band director collectively design a fundraising plan for
the year. They look at the events done in the past and determine what worked and
learn from the p ast Some events, such as their two tournament. * ; are annual events.
They plan 7-8 large events per year, the activities include; casino night, snack bars at
games, selling merchandise at the local swap meet and the tournament. The most
recent was the Casino Night. They raised S3S00, which was low. In the past they
have raised on the average $5000 with this event This is his favorite event, it
requires the participants to dress up and play gambling games, such as poker, and
roulette, but instead o f winning money they win raffle tickets. At the end o f the
night they raffle o ff prizes they have collected by donation. The prizes can be
elaborate, like a weekend at a hotel, tickets to the local amusement parks or as simple
as theme baskets with popcorn and movie tickets.
Football boosters raise money through selling ads in the program and
soliciting sponsorships. Sponsorship range from $10-100— they do well because
people like to see their name in print and for every level o f donation they receive
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school merchandise. Depending on the size o f the donation, they get a baseball hat,
T-shirt, or sweatshirt with the school logo. Baseball does the same thing, but they
are not as successful as the football program. Football also runs a 50/50 raffle at the
games, pancake breakfasts, and turnaround to Las Vegas or State Line. The trips do
well if the entertainment is good on the bus. They also sell Christmas trees and host
a baseball tournament
Booster 2. The band boosters host a variety o f fundraising events according
to the president The activities have a wide range of events. Examples would be:
weekly sales of scripts from the surrounding grocery stores to rummage sales, car
washes, candy sales, food booths at community festivals, and hosting music events
like festival and field tournaments. The decision o f what fundraisers to sponsor is a
decision of the executive board. The ways and means chairman will make a request
and the executive board makes the final decision. The director’s responsibility is to
educate their children and the boosters need to provide the quality instruments and
equipment to support and improve the program.
Booster 3. The annual golf tournament and football concessions are the
primary fundraisers for the MBC. The principal usually plays, as well as a few
coaches. But the president o f the MBC would like to see the event attended better by
the staff; at minimum the teachers and coaches that benefit from the event should
support the parents by playing in the event. The boosters raised close to $7000 o f
their funds from this one event. It takes the work o f several dedicated parents. The
coaches and teachers do not participate in the decision-making or planning o f the
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events. The MBC runs independently, however, one administrator does attend the
monthly meetings and is available to give input
The president o f the girl's athletic boosters states that their major fundraising
events are the tournaments for girl’s basketball and softball. They also participate in
car washes and candy sales, but a majority o f the funding is earned with the
tournaments and the snacks sold at the games. A small committee o f parents mostly
does the planning, but they update the coaches on their progress and know the
coaches are there to support them.
Choir, similar to girls' athletics, mostly raises money through sales, of candy,
car washes, garage sales, and spaghetti dinners. The boosters determine the events
and approve them with the choir director at their monthly booster meetings. The
planning of the events is done primarily by the parents, on the sales o f candy, and the
director helps out considerably because he has daily contact with the students.
Booster 4. The fundraising events in the basketball boosters are a joint
decision by the boosters and the coach. The coach is specific on what he wants
done, and he knows what events will work for the program. He has experience, and
the boosters respect his advice. The primary fundraiser is selling sponsorships for
the basketball program. Similar to HS1, they have levels o f donations; they have the
blue level for $20-50, the yellow level for $50-100, and the gold level for $100-200.
Many of the parents in the program feel they have done their part in supporting the
program if they can write a check, and the boosters approve of the expenditure.
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Summary fFundraising Events)
The booster organizations that appear to raise the most money are the
programs that have clear communication o f goals between teacher/coach and booster
presidents. The band boosters from both HS1 and HS2 raise the most funds from the
programs interviewed. Answers from the teachers and presidents were consistent
and they both attribute clear communication to the success o f their programs.
However, both districts admit to the use o f students in their fundraising efforts.
District A makes strong attempts to only use students in large projects such as
festivals or competitions. Student fundraisers are considered ASB activities and not
booster activities. District B does not hide the fact that most parents will use
students in all their fundraising efforts.
The administration interviewed does not have a role in the decision-making
process regarding booster fundraising events. They feel that the decision is best left
to the teacher/coach and the booster president, and that administration does not need
to be a part of the process. Most teachers/coaches and booster presidents share the
decision process regarding fundraising events. The football coach from HS1 and his
booster president are consistent with each other they do not communicate about
events, each function independently of the other.
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Accounting and Auditing Procedures
This section discusses the accounting and auditing procedures that do or do
not exist in the booster organizations. Also discussed is if such procedures are
required by the district, school, or booster regulations.
District A. The district has many regulations about fundraisers and how funds
are to be deposited, but none that are mandated for booster organizations. Funds are
kept independent from district The only guideline that board policy mandates is that
boosters maintain their insurance policies and tax identification numbers.
District B. The position o f the district is that the boosters are responsible for
their own accounting procedures. “The money issues are all up to them,” according
to the deputy superintendent. The district assumes that the organization maintains
their tax-exempt number and has a bank account listed in the name o f the
organization. It is also assumed that the boosters set up a system o f checks and
balances and possibly audits. According to the Deputy, the principals do a good job
o f informing the boosters o f correct procedures; therefore, interference from the
district in not usually necessary. The district is only asked to intervene when
problems occur with the accounting. The deputy superintendent states that generally
speaking, boosters are not good at accounting. Good booster organizations have
consistency in the parent organization, by nature the organization has a turnover of
officers every year, making it difficult to build consistency in the program.
School 1. The boosters have their own accounts and the principal trusts that
they are kept and audited regularly for money that they raise. Student raised money
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is kept separate and deposited in the ASB account. Band booster money follows the
procedures laid out in the bylaws. Booster raised money is kept separate from
student raised money. Student fees are kept in a separate checking account, and
student raised money is deposited in ASB. The football boosters also have their own
account off campus.
School 2. The principal states that the boosters should have their own
accounts and auditing procedures. It should not be the responsibility o f the school to
police the matter, but he believes that the boosters have the responsibility to the
program they support to make sure all necessary paperwork is completed to maintain
their non-profit tax number. He does not believe it is necessary for boosters to carry
their own liability insurance to protect them during a fundraising event For the
fundraising activities the boosters operate, the district should provide adequate
insurance coverage.
The principal explains that for the athletic boosters, they are required to
deposit all funds into the ASB accounts. They have an off campus account to keep a
minimal amount to operate on, but the profits are all kept in the athletic ASB
accounts. He explained that in the past there were no accounting procedures for
funds raised by boosters and several thousands were lost and unaccounted for. This
system was developed to protect the boosters and provide the athletic programs with
the support they need. The fine arts and other boosters have their own accounts.
The band director explains that the band boosters have several different
accounts they operate from. The booster account for funds raised by adults have one
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checking and savings account There is the “gray box” account, which are the
student accounts. Each student has their own financial statement o f what they
individually raise towards their student fees. The student has the option to deposit
checks or raise the funds, but all students are responsible for a $300 total per year.
These funds are kept in a separate account The funds earned by the coke machine
are deposited in the ASB account for “emergencies” that arise. Boosters have no
input how the ASB funds are spent— the director described it as his slush fund.
Annual audits are mandated by booster bylaws.
School 3. The MBC have their own accounts, but the principal cannot be sure
about the sub-booster organizations. He believes that some may operate under the
umbrella o f the MBC and deposit their funds in their account The school just
started an Academy for the Arts and has a newly founded Arts Foundation to raise
funds for the academy. He believes for the present time the MBC is allowing the
foundation to deposit money in their account until they are established District pays
for the insurance for the Foundation and the MBC, the sub-boosters are covered
under the umbrella of the larger booster organization.
The choir and the girl’s athletic boosters have their own account separate
from the MBC. The teachers felt it would give their boosters more independence.
School 4. The administration at HS4 encourages the boosters to have a
checking account The principal also encourages the head coaches to co-sign on the
checking account and to be one o f two signatures required for the checks. The
boosters are required to pay their tax and licensing fees, however, the district pays
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for the insurance for all booster organizations. The school does'not do any audit on
the boosters, but leaves it up to the coaches to make sure all the money is handled
correctly. They are encouraged to deposit money through ASB and never leave any
money out and unattended. I f the boosters raise the money, they deposit it; if the
students raise it, then it should go through ASB.
Booster 1. Athletic boosters have their own checking account that requires
two signatures on each check as a “checks and balances” system. The band boosters
have more than one bank account and a treasurer dedicated to following the strict
procedures laid out in the booster bylaws. They state that a funding request must be
filled out for every check written. Every expenditure is voted on and approved at
booster meetings and then one two officers or the director signs the checks, but two
signatures are required. An audit is mandatory at the end o f every school year in
June.
Booster 2. The band boosters have several accounts off campus. Funds
raised are deposited in the accounts immediately. Some fundraisers are dedicated to
student fees and others to the general booster account The difference is if students
raise the money individually, it is placed in their student individual account Each
student is tracked for how much they individually raise, and the amount is recorded
and can be used to pay their band fee or any traveling expenses the band may have.
An example would be a candy sale or car wash. If the boosters sponsor the event,
such as the festivals or tournament, then the funds go into the general account The
accounts are audited annually as stated in their bylaws.
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Booster 3. The district pays for the insurance on the MBC, and all the sub
booster organizations are covered under the umbrella o f the larger group. The MBC
has a checking account off campus that requires two signatures o f the booster board.
No formal audit has taken place, however, when a new treasurer takes over, the
books are reviewed by the new board. The choir booster president explained that the
procedures for their organization were similar-two signatures required on checks
and no formal audits.
Booster 4. The boosters have a separate checking account that requires the
signatures o f the head coach and the president This is to assure that both parties are
aware of all expenditures of the program. The group does undergo formal audits;
one of the booster’s members is a certified CPA and assists the organization in the
process.
Summary (Accounting and Auditing Procedures)
The assistant and deputy superintendents are not aware o f booster accounting
procedures and do not see it as a district responsibility. Both indicated during their
interviews that district and booster business is kept separate. However,
administrators in District A seemed very interested in mandating into policy the need
for auditing and accounting procedures for the protection o f the district and schools.
The principals, teachers and coaches interviewed have accounting and auditing
procedures in place for the booster organizations. Booster presidents interviewed
indicated they have a system in place to protect the funds raised by the booster
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organization. AB1 indicated that all his accounting was done in house, and also
mentioned that the coach was lucky that he could trust him. This indicated that he
had no outside source to check his accounting, rather maintained his own accounting
and did not trust anyone else to check his expenditures.
Money Expenditure Decisions
Interviewees discussed the procedures in place to spend funds raised by the
booster organizations. Who makes the decisions on how funds are spent? They also
discussed what the roles of administration, teacher/coach and booster presidents have
in the expenditure o f funds.
District A. According to the assistant superintendent, the expenditure of
funds should be the joint decision between the certificated personnel in charge o f the
activity, the principal, and the boosters. The person who knows best what the
program needs is the certificated personnel running the program. The booster
organization is there to support that person and to respect the expertise that person
has in running that program. He explains that he can only assume that this is being
done. The district has no official responsibility to monitor the activity of the funds
that the booster organizations raise.
District B. The deputy states that the district has no control of the
expenditures o f booster funds, and believes it is in the best interest of the district not
to know. If the district is made aware o f activities, then the boosters will lose the
control on how to spend it Some site administrators do track booster activity, but
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not by the urging o f the district Funds should be donated to the school and program
in the form o f checks, equipment or services. The deputy does admit that many of
the programs would not continue without the financial support o f the booster
organizations.
School 1. Principal o f HSl stated that this question was “very difficult to
answer, communication again is key.” It should be emphasized that all money is to
benefit students, and the teacher or coach should communicate his/her goals to the
boosters before the fundraiser. Problems occur when the two have not
communicated— the money is raised, the teacher spends the money on one thing, and
the boosters spend the money on something else. This recently occurred with one o f
the sports— the boosters raised about $400 during a candy sale and deposited the
funds in the ASB sport account. The coach then spent the full amount on equipment
for the team and turned in the receipts. The boosters also decided to make purchases
for the team and they also spent the full am ount The president had not
communicated with the coach the intention o f the fundraiser; likewise, the coach did
not express the need for the equipment The result was they were in debt and had to
have additional fundraisers to pull them o u t The principal expressed that he does his
best to teach his coaches and teachers not to ignore the boosters but to communicate
with them to facilitate good relationships w ith them. A majority o f boosters have
good communication with their teacher or coach.
The band director explains that he makes all moneymaking decisions. He
builds the budget by line item and presents it to the booster club the spring before the
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school year begins. The boosters discuss and vote on the budget The director states
that boosters rarely question his direction. He states “they know I’m the director and
the expert, so they don’t question my decisions on the budget” Questions they may
ask are regarding the cost o f equipment They don’t question his professional
judgm ent
School 2. The principal explains that the athletic boosters raise funds to
benefit the athletic program, deposit the proceeds in the ASB account and have no
say in how the funds are distributed. They lost that privilege when they could not
appropriately handle their funds. He and the athletic directors have all the decision
making authority over expenditures. The athletic director explained that he relies on
the ASB accounts for additional support for the individual sports. The boosters will
raise the funds for a specific sport, and each sport has an individual account The
coach and he make the decisions on how best to spend the funds on the programs.
The band director explained that the executive board votes on the budget that
he prepares. They have never questioned his opinion on how to best support the
students.
School 3. The MBC has a point system to determine how money is
distributed. Every parent that works a shift is given a point; the parent determines
what program gets the point At the end o f the year, they divide the points into the
money raised to determine the value o f one point Then they distribute the funds
based on the amount of points earned by each program. This is how the different
programs receive extra funding. The money raised this year is for the incoming next
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year so programs can plan knowing what their budgets will be. The organization is
loyal to the system; they sometimes will deviate if there is a school-wide project
Two years ago the principal asked the MBC to donate half the funds for a new score
board in the gym. The money remaining was distributed on the point system. All
parents were aware of the school-wide need and voted on the decision to provide the
scoreboard.
The choir director explained that he writes the budget he shares it with key
members in the boosters, and they approve the expenditures through a vote. He
explained that the boosters understand that he is better qualified to prioritize the
needs o f the program. The Athletic director explained that the coaches make the
decision on expenditures. They receive the budget from the MBC and then spend
funds accordingly.
School 4. The principal describes his coaches as the Chief Executive
Officers (CEO) o f their programs. They decide how the money is raised and spend.
The boosters understand that the principal will support the coaches in any reasonable
decision, and it is to their benefit to work with the coaches. The-basketball coach
believes he is the CEO. His boosters always seek his approval before any financial
actions. The athletic director explained that some coaches are not so decisive. His
wrestling coach allows the parents to make most of the decisions and he goes along
with it
Booster 1. The athletic booster president explained the difference for football
and baseball. Football is a more expensive sport— the equipment is expensive, so the
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money they raise goes to help replace old worn equipment Not much is spent on
frills. Baseball’s needs are different so the boosters help supply equipment that is
team related, not on individual needs. An example would be that the boosters paid
for a new dug o u t new grass and a new pitching machine. The dug out was done by
one of the boosters, and the district was not aware because the boosters wanted to
avoid the long approval process so it ju st “appeared” one day. The district chose to
not acknowledge the dug out However, he further mentioned that a booster
organization at another high school had tried a similar action. The drama boosters
built a sound room in the school auditorium and the district made them take it down.
He felt fortunate that the district chose to ignore their dug out
The band booster president explained that the band director creates a budget
by line item, and the boosters look at i t vote on it accept i t and raise the money for
it They raise the money for the present year the year before. The philosophy of the
band booster president is that the director is the paid expert and they are the
volunteer support group.
Booster 2. The band booster executive board meets every spring to review
the budget for the following year. The director usually prepares a thorough draft
ahead o f time and they have a discussion and vote on i t The director’s decisions are
rarely disputed, but the boosters reserve the right to approve all expenditures for the
program.
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I
Booster 3. The funds are distributed by the point system described
previously. The boosters have an open book policy and are never questioned about
the distribution o f the funds.
The girl's athletic booster president explains that they donate their proceeds
to the athletic program and the coaches decide how the funds are spent Some
fundraising events are sport specific. An example would be the softball tournament
proceeds are all designated to the softball program. If a coach has a need, the
boosters attempt to raise the money to fund their needs. An example would be the
girl’s volleyball team asked for new practice balls and nets, so the boosters raised the
funds for them.
Booster 4. The basketball booster president explains that he works closely
with the head coach. He gives the boosters direction on what the needs o f the
program are, such as a list of necessary team dinners, the equipment needed, then the
boosters do what they can to accommodate those needs.
Summary (Money Expenditure Decisions!
The assistant and deputy superintendent again stated booster business is kept
separate from district business they did not have a role in expenditures o f booster
funds. Principals interviewed stated that the teacher/coach were involved in the
decisions regarding money expenditures and made principals aware o f the activity.
Most teachers, coaches and booster presidents interviewed shared the decisions
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regarding money expenditures. The football coach from HS1 and his booster
president acted independently of each other.
Governance
Governance refers to the rules and policies that govern the purpose of the
booster organization. This study examined the different types o f governance
structures that existed in the four schools interviewed. Probing questions were asked
to investigate what roles the assistant superintendent, principal and the teacher/
coach took in the booster governance.
Board Policy
This section discussed the board policies in place, or not in place to guide the
actions o f the booster organization. Policies in place are described. The lack of
policy is discussed as well as recommendations for policies to assist in the guidance
of booster organizations.
District A. The assistant superintendent strongly believes that board policies
should be in place to give guidance to the booster organizations. He feels that
explicit policies would diminish problems and enhance communications between
boosters, teachers, and administration. There are no current board policies in place
that govern booster organizations, and the district does not give any directives in the
area o f governance for the boosters. However, it is required that the boosters have
insurance and are registered with a non-profit tax identification number. Each school
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principal should be aware, and have copies o f all booster bylaws and records o f the
current officers. The district encourages all site principals to hold a meeting with all
booster presidents at the beginning of each school year to review district and school
procedures in relation to booster activities. It is also a time to share what the
boosters should and should not do.
District B. The deputy superintendent is o f the opinion that the boosters are
completely separate organization and should not be governed by the district He
states that once you begin making demands, then the district can be held accountable
for what the booster organizations do. The district has no official policies regarding
the boosters. They are requested to follow district guidelines in the area o f fieldtrips,
the selling of food items and transportation. Fieldtrips have specific regulations for
chaperones that the boosters should receive and review before a trip or tour with the
students. At one time the Board o f Trustees expressed an interest in the bingo games
at one o f the sites, and it was decided that it was not a good idea politically for them
to get involved.
School 1 . No guidelines are provided by the district, however, the principal
meets with the teachers and coaches annually and answers parent and booster
concerns. The band director and the football coach state that they receive no
guidance from the district for boosters, but information is available from the
principal.
School 2. No direct instructions are provided for the boosters, however, there
are regulations regarding chaperoning events and selling food items. More explicit
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policies are needed to give direction to the booster organizations. What is truly
necessary is a district definition o f a booster organization and a few general
guidelines. This would support the efforts at the site level for the parents as well as
the coaches and administrators. Not every parent involved in the program has the
same background or the same notion o f how to support students. Sometimes the
purpose can be lost if the organization does not have strong leadership.
School 3. The site principal understands that the district’s position to treat
boosters as a separate organization and that creating policy would limit booster
activity. Policies would produce more work for the already overworked principal.
He feels the booster parents are all trustworthy people and, if they do have trouble,
the school has no official involvem ent
School 4. The principal o f HS4 shared the same feelings as the principal of
HS3. He feels that the responsibilities of a high school principal are great enough.
He does track the activity o f the boosters informally, and prefers that it not be a
district mandate. More flexibility is given to both the school and the boosters if they
are not regulated. Because the boosters are an independent organization, they are
responsible for governing their own policies, however, the district should have a
system o f checking on the boosters to make sure there are no laws broken when they
run their events.
Booster 1 . As expressed before by the band booster president, the district has
no problem in relaying to the booster organization’s problems after they occur, but
never what the expectations are up front He would like to prevent conflict with the
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district by understanding the standards by which they measured. An example
described was last year the boosters were questioned by the business division at the
district about how the boosters paid the auxiliary staff. They asked them to change
their system. The booster president was upset, because when he and the band
director met with the assistant superintendent, they were asked “don’t you know
better” and the president replied “no, you never explained how the district wanted it
done.” The booster president had no problem being held accountable as long as he
understood the district’s expectation.
The athletic booster president believes the contrary; he does not feel it
necessary for the district to give direction. He feels that if the boosters are doing
their job, the district should have no concerns.
Booster 2. The band booster president states that no district restrictions were
ever expressed to her. She was aware that the boosters could not sell food items that
would compete with the cafeteria. She also could explain all the regulations
regarding fieldtrips and chaperones. The band took a m ajor trip earlier in the year
and were updated on chaperone policies.
Booster 3. The MBC president feels that it is more important to have open
communication with district and school personnel than it is to have district policies.
The MBC booster president explained that it was to the boosters advantage that there
were no district regulations. Two years ago the school wanted to purchase a
scoreboard for the gym. District policy for the school is to go to bid, using only
certain companies and ordering through the district The process can be quite time
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consuming. The boosters raised the funds for the item, went shopping and purchased
the scoreboard in half the time die district would have taken. The appropriate district
personnel approved the chosen scoreboard before it was purchased, but done in less
the time.
Booster 4. The basketball booster president did not think it was necessary to
have district policy. “Once rules are made, then you have to follow them.”
Summary (Board Policy^
All interviewees agree that there are no district policies in place to guide
booster organizations. The districts have policies in place for chaperones, food sales
and ASB funds. But no policies exist that are booster specific. Booster presidents
from District A all expressed the desire for guidance from the district Expectations
of booster organizations were in existence, but not shared with the boosters.
Booster Club Bvlaws and Training of the Booster Officers
This section discussed the existing bylaws of the booster organizations at the
four chosen high schools. Also discussed are the requirements by the district
school, and booster organization of bylaws and the training o f the booster officers.
District A. Bylaws are not mandated, but recommended by the district
according to the assistant superintendent. Each site principal should have in his
office a set o f all booster bylaws, and a current officer roster. The training for the
booster presidents is encouraged at the beginning of every year by the site principal.
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The purpose for this is clear, consistent direction for the parents. The assistant
superintendent is aware that this probably does not occur at most sites, but is
discussed at the first principal’s meeting o f the year.
District B. The deputy superintendent assumes that the boosters have bylaws,
but are not mandated. The district position is that booster business is separate from
school business, and it is their choice whether or not they want bylaws. The more
the district knows the more chance o f a nexus. Training o f the boosters should be a
site decision; it is up to the principal to decide if training parents is a necessity.
School 1. The principal keeps a file in his office o f sample bylaws for any
booster or teacher who want to review them. He has found that a good set of bylaws
are the foundation o f solid booster organization. It gives the boosters purpose,
definition, and a plan of execution. The band director just went through a revision
with his booster organization and found that the more explicit the document, the
better. He felt it left little room for errors on especially finance issues.
School 2. The principal stated that bylaws are essential to the organization of
the booster organization. It defines purpose and clarifies roles. The boosters all
have bylaws that are in the assistant principal’s office. They are not reviewed, but
collected for reference and clarification if a situation arises. The band director
explained that the boosters revisit the bylaws every spring and see if they need
revision. Training for the boosters is done internally. There is a retired band booster
that holds training meetings once a year for any band booster officers in the district.
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They discuss procedures and share ideas as well as give advice to one another for
how to service their students better.
School 3. When first asked if the boosters had bylaws, the principal was not
sure. After a moment, he replied that they did. He recalled parents referring to
them during booster meetings. He stated that they were helpful to have and that the
MBC does have them, but thought that the sub-booster groups also followed the
same guidelines because they were a part o f the larger group. To his knowledge no
training o f boosters occurs. The choir director stated that the choir boosters have
their own set o f bylaws. They are not the same as the MBC.
School 4. In the absence of district guidelines, the principal o f HS4 feels that
it is necessary to have bylaws. However, he feels the boosters are responsible for the
maintenance o f their regulations. He states that he has many parents who are
professionals and members of business organizations and are good at shaping the
business end o f the booster organization. The school does not provide any training
for the parents; boosters take care of it internally.
Booster 1. The band president takes his bylaws seriously. He was
responsible two years ago, as vice president to update and rewrite the bylaws. They
currently have a very comprehensive set, including detailed outlines o f officer duties.
The training o f officers is not done formally, but they are given a list o f duties and
sometimes a notebook from the person leaving office. The current task o f the
president is writing a parent handbook. The handbook will include chaperone duties,
detailed instructions on how to work fundraising events and student protocol. There
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have been a couple of incidents regarding parents discussing a student’s financial
situation with other parents. It caused a great deal o f embarrassment to the student
and his family. He felt fortunate that the family did not take any action on the
incident
The athletic booster president states that they do not have bylaws. In the
past he was president of the little league, who did have a set of bylaws. Therefore,
he felt that he understood their purpose and did not feel the need for them. He feels
fortunate that no one has ever questioned his methods. Only once, the ASB advisor
questioned him over a fundraiser because it was not placed on the activity calendar.
The ASB advisor thought there were different groups selling the same thing at the
same time, and that there is a school regulation that groups cannot compete against
each other for sales. The advisor did not know that the fundraiser opens to several
groups to participate.
Booster 2. The band boosters have bylaws that are reviewed once a year at
the same time they elect new officers. No official training for the booster board
takes place. Last year she did attend a meeting held by a “retired parent” that likes to
assist boosters in the district He has made attempts to get the band booster
presidents to communicate on a regular basis. This retired parent was a booster
president during a rocky time in the district There was talk o f eliminating marching
bands, so the boosters rallied in support o f their programs, and saved the bands. He
feels the necessity for the boosters to communicate on a regular basis.
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Booster 3. The MBC have bylaws with specific guidelines on the point
system they use to distribute funds. The president feels it would be helpful to have
more detailed instructions regarding role definition for the officers. There is no
training for the parent volunteers, and if they had a better idea of what they were
supposed to do, the beginning of the year would not have such a large learning curve.
Booster 4. Regulations are necessary for consistency. A set of bylaws exist
but are rarely looked at by the basketball boosters. The coach maintains the boosters
and the rules that govern the organization. Training of the position is not necessary,
and the head coach is willing to assist any new member to understand their duties.
Summary (Booster Club Bvlaws and Training of the Booster Officers!
The assistant and deputy superintendents do not regulate bylaws for booster
organizations; therefore, they do not know if boosters have bylaws. All
interviewees, but one, indicated that the booster organization had a functional set o f
bylaws. The only booster organization without bylaws was the athletic booster
president at HS1. However, the football coach at HS1, supported by the president,
believes there are an active set o f bylaws.
Political Relationships, Formal and Informal Power Structures
Discussed were the relationships in place between administration,
teacher/coach, and booster president Also discussed are the effectiveness of these
relationships and their importance to the school program.
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District A. The assistant superintendent describes booster relationships as
positive, but independent When problems occur, the reason is usually a lack o f open
communication. The most important component for boosters and teachers is to
communicate and share the same goals. During his first week in this district there
were three booster issues he was asked to solve. All were a result of lack of
communication between the school and the booster organization. Each had a
problem with lack o f communication o f clear goals between the boosters and the
teachers. The problems eventually died down. A good relationship with boosters is
important— a school can only improve with parents as partners.
District B. The relationship between the district and the boosters is non
existent except when the boosters have concerns or when there is a problem that
needs intervention. The district gets involved indirectly to assist with solving
problems. The deputy superintendent explained a situation where a new teacher
signed a sales contract for a fundraiser, instead o f going through the boosters or the
administration. She was unaware that teachers are not authorized to sign contracts.
The fundraiser came up short and did not meet the quota promised, so the district
intervened and paid the company. The club will pay back the district when they
have future fundraisers.
The only formal relationship the district has with the boosters is the insurance
coverage. All booster clubs in the district are covered by district insurance called
ASCIP, Alliance o f Schools for Cooperative Insurance Policies. This takes care of
risk management issues. Most districts in Orange County are covered by this policy.
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It is an umbrella policy that covers all liability issues for the district including
booster activities.
The deputy explained that there are three reasons the boosters will come to the
board:
1. To form a sport that is not currently at a school, for example, a booster
organization wanted to start a soccer team. The boosters paid for the first year,
then they ran out of funds, so now the district supports it
2. To add another level to a sport, for example, the aqua boosters at one school
wanted to add a junior varsity water polo to their roster.
3. If the boosters want to make a large purchase, they will ask the board to share
expenses; an example would be new band uniforms or a scoreboard.
School 1. The principal describes his relationship with boosters as open.
However, the principal has a carnal rule never to engage in a group discussion of
parents with a problem. He will talk to individuals with concerns but never in a
group. He does not believe in clouding the purpose o f the organization, which is to
support the students. He makes it clear to teachers and coaches what the role of the
parent support group is and what is his role is. Communicate as much as possible and
have clear goals that all stakeholders understand and can support.
The band director concurs that the principal has no interaction with the
boosters as a group, but he will meet with any individual with a concern. The
boosters feel the principal is supportive of their efforts.
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Between the boosters and the director, the relationship is mostly fine. If there
are problems, it is a result o f a difference o f opinion on definition o f the purpose of
the boosters, disagreements are not money driven. Shared decision-making occurs
at some level through the boosters meetings. They have input in the events that are
booster sponsored, and they do not interfere with classroom procedures. He
responded jokingly “It’s a dictatorship.” He feels most parents are supportive
because his decisions are student driven.
School 2. The principal explained that prior to his arrival this year, the
relationship between boosters and the principal was very different The individual
booster presidents were accustomed to making appointments with the principal to
discuss details of booster activity. They would then relay the information to the
teacher and parents. In addition to individual appointments, the booster presidents,
along with the PTA president, would meet once a month with the principal in a
Parent Advisory Council. The current principal stopped this. He did not find it
appropriate that the parents would communicate with him and not the teachers or
coaches. He explained to the teachers, athletic directors, and coaches the chain of
command and no parent was to come to him directly. He delegated the Parent
Advisory to one of his assistant principals and shortened meeting times to once a
quarter. His plan is to dissolve this group all together.
The band director explains that the booster presidents meet regularly with one
o f the assistant principals, but not the principal. The director’s relationship with his
boosters is a positive one. The boosters at his previous school were difficult, and
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never understood his goals for improving the program. He feels fortunate to be at
HS2 where the parents are eager to support him. He states that it helps to have the
largest program in the district, and the bands perform well and have won many
awards. When the parents see their work paid off, it is easier to ask them for more.
He attributes his good relationship to good communication, as he explains “If you
treat them well, they will treat you well.**
The athletic director has a different relationship with his booster this year
than in previous years. Because of the many sports, he never had direct contact with
the boosters before. The new principal requested that the athletic directors
communicate with the coaches and the boosters and develop priority o f projects. All
expenditures and activity have to be approved by the athletic director. He is
discovering that the advantage is that now more priority equipment and necessary
items for the department are now funded. He feels confident about the new
relationship.
School 3. There is not much of a relationship between the principal and the
boosters. There is an assistant principal in charge of the MBC and she attends the
monthly meetings. The MBC will put the principal's report on the agenda every
month and the assistant principal will make the report The principal designed the
meeting schedule so that the MBC meets right after the PTA every first Monday of
the month. The principal does use the two groups for a parent sounding board of
ideas. If there is something controversial, he can share ideas and get parent input
One example shared was a problem with the athletes frequently missing period five
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to travel. He approached the parents to solicit their feelings, and they expressed
concern about the instructional time missed. As a result, the bell schedule will be
revised next year. The group is more o f an advisory group than a shared decision
partner, just like Site council or PTA it is an advisory group. There is a positive
relationship between the principal, boosters and teachers. The MBC has expressed
to the principal they would like to see more of the coaches, but understand their busy
schedules.
The choir director describes his relationship with his boosters as functional.
They work for the common goal o f supporting the students. The athletic director
says that the relationship is good most of the time. He explains boosters can get
aggressive if teams are loosing and the impulse is to blame the coaches. He does not
appreciate instances when they use the booster name to discuss a personal concern.
One example he shared was a few years ago when he was coaching a junior varsity
basketball, a parent approached him after a game and proceeded to tell him how to
coach. He began every sentence with “the boosters feel...” The coach was
intimidated by the idea of upsetting a group of parents, when it was really only one.
He is seasoned enough now to understand the parent’s emotional involvement, and
has learned to detach himself from those situations.
School 4. The relationship between the principal and the boosters is a positive
one. He makes an attempt to get to know the presidents personally, one on one first,
but as far as the booster business, he stays out of it He does not attend meetings,
and they probably wish he did, but he makes himself available for the social
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functions. If the boosters host a dinner to honor a coach or the players, he attends.
The basketball boosters are very controlled and don’t need administration to assist in
anyway. Positive relationships happen because the staff is open and flexible. The
coaches also keep control. Some coaches have different philosophies on how to run
the boosters, some dictate what they want, how they want it, and others see what the
boosters give them as gifts and are grateful for any help. Three years ago, the
principal had a problem with a coach that was a little aggressive with the boosters,
refused to attend booster meetings, and did not work well with parents, but the
principal is working on that individual and he is more accepting to booster help.
The athletic director describes the relationship between his coaches and the
boosters as generally good. The coaches deal with their boosters individually-as
athletic director, he communicates with the boosters of the teams he coaches. He
gives control to the individual coaches. The better the season, the better the
relationship.
Booster 1. The athletic booster president describes his relationship with the
coaches as a good one-he has known the football coach for 30 years, and they
attended school together. He believes the decision-making is shared, as long as the
coach stays out o f booster business. “It’s none of his business what I’m doing but if
the coach needs something, we’ll buy it for him.” The relationship is like a father
and son; if he wants a new bike, he has to ask for it He continues to explain that he
and the football coach have history together and coached little league together. The
coach even asked him to coach freshman football. The relationship has lasted nine
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years. The coach would describe the president’s efforts as working for the benefit of
the total program and the students, not for individual satisfaction or for the
promotion of his personal sons. He feels he has gained the basketball coach’s trust
because the boosters provide him with his needs. The president explained that
boosters don’t have many interactions with the principal. He has spoken to the
principal twice this year, but he is very approachable.
The band booster president says he has a close relationship with the band
director, and his wife works in his office as a secretary. The relationship works
because he understands his role as a booster, he is there to support the program, and
describes himself as a passive president The relationship with all boosters is not all
positive. There is a fraction o f the boosters that are anti-director. The president
views his job to remind parents that the boosters are there to support the program for
the student’s sake, but the parent’s personal agenda can interfere. Parents meddle
and cause problems with the students, and they get involved in petty arguments
Parents have been known to stop students in parking lots, at band events, and engage
in conversations that are none o f their business.
Booster 2. The relationship with the director and the boosters is a good one.
There is a mutual respect between the parents and the director. The director
constantly keeps parents informed through newsletters, phone, flyers and by word of
mouth. The program is a large and active one, and requires a great deal of support
So it is vital to make all the members feel valued. She is uncertain of the
relationship with the principal. He appears supportive of the program, and is to be
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open to individual concerns, however, there was a change in communication policy.
She was accustomed to speaking with the previous principal on a regular basis. Now
the relationship is more with the assistant principal and the head custodian.
Booster 3. The president o f the MBC explains that they hold monthly
meetings, and a representative from the administrative staff and sometimes from the
athletic department attend. The informal relationship is with the principal. She
expressed a desire to see the principal attend more meetings, but understands his
position makes him in demand. She is appreciative that there is a representative
from the administrative staff.
Booster 4. Communication between the basketball coach and the booster
president is no problem. The coach makes his wishes perfectly clear, and the
boosters do all they can for the program. The coach is very dedicated to the students
and runs a quality program. The students appreciate his dedication and direction
and, therefore, the boosters support him because of his dedication to the students.
Summary (Political Relationships. Formal and Informal Power Structures)
The interviewees all relayed a positive working relationship between the
district, administration, teacher/coach and booster presidents. Although the
administrators interviewed felt the relationship was very limited, they felt their
support indicated a positive relationship to the booster organizations. The
teacher/coaches and booster presidents indicated a functional and good working
relationship with each other. Assistant superintendents from both districts felt it was
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best not to have a direct relationship with the booster organizations, and the
principals felt the same way. They viewed their role as supports, and the primary
contact person for boosters should be the teacher/coach.
Personnel
This study examined the role of the booster club in personnel decisions.
More specifically staffing decisions and salaries. Questions regarding hiring,
evaluation, and firing o f staff were asked. The interviews also revealed who is
responsible for the salaries o f assistant coaches and auxiliary staff as well as
procedures about how those employees were paid.
Staffing
Personnel issues o f who is involved in the hiring, evaluation, and firing
process are discussed. The emphasis is placed on the role of booster members in the
process. The decision o f whom should make decisions regarding assistant coaches
and auxiliary staff is also discussed in this section.
District A. The choice o f staff is the decision o f the site administrator. If the
booster organization has a positive relationship with the principal, it is possible for
the parents to be included in the selection process o f certificated personnel in an
advisory capacity. The boosters do not have an official role in the evaluation o f any
district personnel.
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District B. Principals can choose to have boosters act as advisors in the
hiring o f teachers. It depends on the school, the program and the principal on how
much the principal wants them to be involved in the hiring process. They have no
official responsibility regarding personnel. Parents in the past have come to board
meetings to protest the firing o f a teacher, but decisions were not overturned.
Several years ago, the district fired the band director, parents came to protest and
asked to have him reinstated. The district hired a new competent director, and the
boosters never came back.
School 1. Coaches and band directors can recommend to the principal the
personnel they want to hire, coaches have to have principal approval, they have to
comply with CIF regulations. Once decisions have been made, district procedure is
followed for hiring, such as fingerprints and paperwork. There are some auxiliary
staff that are hired by the band that the district does not employ. Teachers handle
that on their own hiring, but auxiliary staff cannot be alone with the students.
Boosters have no role in the hiring, firing or evaluation process. There are union
issues to be concerned for. In the case of a firing, due process has to be followed
carefully, and parents are not a part o f the process. They may want action to be
taken, but the principal explains that this decision is not theirs to make.
Both the band director and the athletic director explained the same process as
the principal. They interview the candidates and make their recommendation to the
principal for hire. Candidates then go to the district for fingerprinting, paperwork
and attend a safety class.
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School 2. The principal makes all the hiring and firing decisions. The
coaches recommend whom they would like to hire for the positions and the principal
has a 15-20 minute interview with the candidate. If he has to fire them, he wants to
hire them too. If the person is a fit at his school, then the principal hires them. He
claims the band has volunteers and chooses not to address the issue of the extra
employees they have. The parents are never involved at any level.
The band director explains that the band program has an extensive staff.
During marching season, they have up to 15 employees that the boosters provide.
The director makes the selection of who to hire. The employees are directed to go to
the district and do the necessary paperwork for on-campus volunteers. This includes
fingerprints, a TB shot and depending on the position of the person, a safety class.
Boosters do not supply anything but the financial support for additional staff.
The athletic director says that the principal hires all the assistant coaches, but
he has a great deal of input with the principal’s decision. The parents are never
involved, officially. Unofficially, the athletic director hears the complaints of
parents who are not satisfied with the performance of teams, but nothing that he finds
out o f the ordinary for any athletic program.
School 3. The principal explained that the head coaches make the selection
o f who they prefer, have their selection approved by the athletic director followed by
district screening, such as finger printing and the rest of the hiring process. The
boosters are not involved in hiring an assistant coach. When selecting the head
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coach or teacher, there is a parent and a MBC representative on the interview panel.
They act as advisors to the principal, and the principal makes the final decision.
For evaluation, parents are not involved only in a cursory way. The athletic
director evaluates the coaches and the coaches evaluate the assistants. The principal
describes it as a check and balance system used to improve the program. Informally
the parents make their concerns known. One example shared was a basketball coach
the parents did not like, but the principal found nothing wrong with him, therefore he
kept him. In another example, there was a softball coach that many parents were
concerned about that never won any games and berated the students. As a result of
their concern, she was observed and he eventually released her.
School 4. The principal again emphasized that the coaches are the head of
their sport, therefore, he empowers them to select the personnel. The coaches must
seek the approval of the athletic director, and then the district will hire them. Parents
are not involved in the hiring o f assistant coaches. W hen the school interviews for a
head coach a booster from a different sport is invited to sit on the interview panel.
Evaluations are handled like in HS3, the head coach evaluates the assistant
coaches; the athletic director evaluates the head coaches, and the principal evaluates
the athletic director. Boosters are involved informally and mostly when they are not
happy with the season.
Booster 1. The band booster president explained that the boosters do not take
part in personnel business. As for the auxiliary staff, such as the percussion,
marching and color guard instructors, the hiring decisions are left up to the director.
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The athletic booster president explained that they have no role in the hiring o f
staff. However, with football, he feels the school has a dedicated staff and are
fortunate the coaches have been together for a while. Not the case for baseball— the
booster president assists the coach on people who might be interested in the position
available. He claims to have input because he has earned the respect to give it To
fire a coach, they give their opinions, but it's the athletic director's decision.
Booster 2. The band director makes all the decisions on who to hire, fire, and
evaluates them. The booster parents are not involved officially. If a parent has a
concern, then it is that individual's responsibility to discuss their concern with the
director, the boosters are not to be used as a tool to get a staff member in trouble, or
fired. She continued that she had little respect for parents who could not distinguish
their role as a parent from their role as a booster.
Booster 3. The MBC president states they have no responsibility with
personnel issues and likes it that way. The girl’s athletic booster president, likewise,
expressed that the boosters had no influence in personnel issues, but would like to
feel as though their concerns were taken more seriously. There have been occasions
when boosters wanted to address a coach's demeanor with the athletic director, and
he listened but it appeared to her as though nothing was done to address the
concerns.
Booster 4. The booster president at HS4 says they have no influence in
staffing issues. He feels that the booster's responsibility is to support the students
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and the coach. It is his job to find quality people to assist them. The coach is the
trained expert and the boosters are a support organization.
Summary
Staffing
According to the interviewees, boosters have no role in staffing decisions,
more specifically, the hiring, evaluation, or firing of staff members. Some principals
may use booster members as advisors when hiring new teachers or head coaches, but
the principals clearly stated that the responsibility of hiring the new personnel was
theirs alone.
Salaries
Interviewees explain who is responsible for the salaries o f assistant coaches,
auxiliary staff and in some cases, primary coaches and teachers.
District A. The district makes an offer to the schools, but not publicly, to pay
the auxiliary staff hired by the boosters. They would need to pay the district first,
make payments or the district can bill the boosters at the end o f the season. If the
boosters are delinquent, the position would be eliminated. The employees are
loosing out on benefits and retirement, and increasing the chances o f inappropriate or
illegal actions. The district can only assume that the boosters are filing 1099’s on
their employees to have the appropriate taxes taken out If the IRS were to find out
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the boosters were paying the staff illegally, the boosters could be shut down and
charged.
The district provides a limited amount o f money to the extra-curricular
programs for stipends, positions for color guards, percussions, and dance instructors
are categorized in the teacher contract. The district pays the stipends out biannually
or seasonally depending on the position. If the boosters would take advantage o f the
offer to pay staff, the district could provide employees with W2 forms. Boosters can
even dictate how and when they want the staff to be paid. The office complains
about the offer, and the assistant superintendent’s response is that it is better to have
a little extra work than a lawsuit or a booster club in the district in legal trouble with
the IRS. “If it bares the name of the school or district, we are involved, whether we
like it or not.”
District B. The district only gets involved in the summer programs. The
deputy explained how years ago, different schools would run their programs and paid
their coaches different salaries school to school. Some schools didn’t even pay their
coaches. The district interfered and put into policy that the coaches must get paid the
hourly rate, not to exceed 40 hours a week. The booster organizations are in charge
o f collecting the fees from the students and writing the check to the district before
the summer camp begins to ensure the money will be there. The district then takes
out the necessary taxes and pays the teacher.
School 1. The assistant coaches are all paid for by the district to be in
compliance with CIF regulations, according to the principal o f HS1. He further
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states that the boosters do raise funds for additional staffs in programs such as band.
Most other salaries come from the district. A few salaries are paid for, or enhanced
by boosters, mostly band personnel. The boosters will deposit the funds for the
salaries into the ASB account and the ASB writes a check to the staff member. This
method provides a paper trail necessary for auditing purposes. Money cannot be
paid under the table, or else the appropriate taxation cannot occur. The band
director explains that their extra funds come from student fees in the amount o f
approximately $50,000.
School 2. The district provides funding for assistant coaches. The principal
is unofficially aware that the band has additional staff; however,, does not want to
know details of their employment To his knowledge, they are all “volunteers.” The
band director explains that he makes the decisions on how much to pay the auxiliary
staff, and knows that the boosters take the necessary precautions with 1099 forms.
School 3. The boosters enhance some salaries but they are non-athletic. For
summer programs, students pay fees to participate in the activity a majority o f the fee
goes to pay for the salary o f the coach. The money is filtered through the district
after the boosters have collected the fees from the students. The Arts Foundation
pays for their own secretary, but she is a district employee. It is written in her
contract that if the foundation collapses, so does her job.
School 4. All athletic salaries come from the district Fine arts pay for their
extra staff from the coke machine profits. The athletic director explained that the
boosters do not enhance salaries. There are strict CIF rules restricting the extra pay
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o f coaches. The summer leagues or camps are funded by the boosters. They collect
fees from the students to pay for expenses and coaches salaries.
Booster 1. The athletic booster president claims that boosters do not provide
funds for coaches. Salaries are all funded through the district. The band booster
president explains that the auxiliary band staff is provided through student fees. The
fees are deposited into a separate booster account and they pay for salaries. The
boosters fill out 1099 forms for their employees.
Booster 2. The band boosters provide salaries for the auxiliary staff, and the
director determines the amount The boosters pay them monthly and file 1099 forms
on the employees to have the appropriate taxes removed.
Booster 3. The district provides the athletic coaches salaries as explained by
the president o f the MBC and the girl's athletics booster president However, the
choir president stated that the boosters had to raise funds to provide an accompanist
for the choir performances.
Booster 4. The school provides for all the salaries for the programs with the
exemption o f summer programs. The basketball president explained that to his
knowledge the district provided the athletic program with all necessary salaries. The
boosters concentrated their efforts on enhancing the program
Summary (Salaries)
The assistant and deputy superintendents recognized during their interviews
that boosters do provide funds for additional salaries. The principals from HS1 and
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HS2 also recognize booster funded staff. Principals from HS3 did not indicate that
the boosters supplied funds for staff however, the choir director from HS3 confirmed
that his boosters do provide the accompanist for their concerts. The coaches and
athletic booster presidents from all schools interviewed relayed that the boosters do
not pay for assistant coaches. This is due to the California Interscholastic Federation
(CIF) regulations forbidding boosters to provide additional staff beyond the district
This regulation exists to ensure fair play among schools. However, teachers and
booster presidents, all in the fine arts, indicated that boosters pay for a majority of
the additional staff used to enhance the programs.
Summary o f Research Question 1
An overview of research question one reveals that booster presidents are
actively involved at all levels o f finance with the teacher/coaches. Booster
presidents have control over their bylaws that govern the organization, but no board
policies in place. Booster members have no official role in personnel decisions.
The assistant superintendents and a few coaches feel the district is providing
enough funds for the athletic and extra-curricular programs. Table 4-1 indicates that
four coaches feel the district provides the basic needs o f their programs, but the
principals do not feel that athletic and extra-curricular programs are adequately
funded. Table 4-1 also indicates that fundraising is a shared responsibility between
teacher/coach and booster organizations. The exception is the athletic department
from HS1, both the coach and booster president admits they operate independently
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from each other. In Table 4-1, the coach indicated that he felt the decision process
should be shared, but is not N either the coach or the booster president indicated any
hostility, but the coach mentioned that he did not want to upset a good relationship.
Administration do not have a role the funding process, the principals and assistant
superintendents all expressed that the decision-making was all up to the programs
and did not involve them.
The assistant superintendents from both districts indicated that they were not
aware o f auditing and accounting procedures or about the decision process regarding
money expenditures. All other interviewees, except for AB1 indicated that there
were accounting procedures in place and that decisions regarding money
expenditures were a shared decision process between the teacher/coach and booster
organization.
Table 4-2 indicates that there are no board policies to guide booster
organizations, however, all but one booster organization has bylaws to govern their
booster organizations. Assistant superintendents from both districts, as well as
principals 1,2, and 3, felt they did not have a direct relationship with the booster
organizations. In the area of personnel, it is evident by Table 4-2, that boosters have
no role in hiring, evaluating, or firing staff members. Both assistant superintendents
and principals 1 and 2 indicated that they were aware o f boosters providing salaries
for additional staff members. Principals 3 and 4 did not indicate that boosters
provided salaries however, the choir director and choir booster president from HS3
said the boosters provide funds to hire an accompanist The fine arts programs
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interviewed indicated that boosters provided additional funds for staff. The athletic
programs did not. This would be due to the CIF regulation against boosters hiring
additional staff.
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Table 4-1: Summary of Research Question 2 - Finance
X - indicates the interviewee said “yes’ *
District
provides
basic funds
for program
Fundraising
is ashared
decision
There are auditing
and accounting
procedures
Money expenditures
are a shared decision
District A X
D o no t bu m D o n o t b u m
District B X
Do no t hu m D o n o t b u m
Principal 1 X X
Principal 2 X X
Principal 3 X X
Principal 4 X X
BD1 X X X
FC1 X X
BD2 X X X
AD2 X X X X
CD3 X X X
AD3 X X X
BC4 X X X X
AD4 X X X X
BB1 X X X
AB1
BB2 X X X
MBC3 X X X
GAB3 X X X
CB3 X X X
BB4 X X X
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Table 4-2: Summary of Research Question 2 - Governance and Personnel
X - indicates the interviewee said “yes”
There are
board
policies
regarding
boosters
There are by-laws
for booster
organizations
Working
relationship
exist
w/boosters
Boosters
have role in
staffing
decisions
Boosters
provide salaries
for additional
staff
District A
Do no t know
X
District B
Do not know
X
Principal 1 X X
Principal 2 X X
Principal 3 X
Principal 4 X X
BD1 X X X
FC1 X X
BD2 X X X
AD2 X X
CD3 X X X
AD3 X X
BC4 X X
AD4 X X
BB1 X X X
AB1 X
BB2 X X X
MBC3 X X
GAB3 X X
CB3 X X X
BB4 X X
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Research Question 2: What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness of
booster organizations in accomplishing their roles?
Research Question 2 asks, “What factors seem to promote or inhibit the
effectiveness o f booster organizations in accomplishing their roles?” The interviews
reveal what factors promote or inhibit booster organizations in the areas of finance,
governance and personnel.
Finance
Fundraising Events
Discussed in this section are the factors that can promote or inhibit the
booster organization with fundraising events. Interviewees discuss what is
successful and the areas that need improvement
District A. Factors that promote the effectiveness of the booster organization
from the district perspective is that all booster organizations are running fund raising
projects that are all legal and have met the prior approval o f the certificated
personnel assigned to the activity or the principal, preferably both. The assistant
superintendent o f District A explained that the boosters are independent
organizations and they sponsor their own events. Because boosters are an
independent organization, it is not necessary to seek permission, but as a courtesy,
they should.
The use o f students for booster fundraising is not acceptable to most district
policies and can be an inhibitor. Students should never be used for raising funds for
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any parent organization. If students are involved, the proceeds should be deposited
into an ASB account, not the booster account. The decision of whom decides what
fundraising activities occur is not a real concern o f the district, and is a site decision,
as long as all the activities are legal and comply with site regulations, such as food
sales. There are regulations that prevent any food sales that would interfere with the
sales with the site cafeteria.
District B. The deputy explained that the booster organizations are separate
from district business, therefore, he is not aware o f specific booster operations at
individual sites, unless they are having trouble. He identified students as an inhibitor
if they are used for booster fundraisers. The district discourages the use of students
to raise booster money, the philosophy of the district is that money raised by the
students needs to be deposited into an ASB account and money raised by the parents
are deposited in an off campus booster account
School 1. The principal of HS1 encourages the boosters to keep open
communication with the certificated personnel in charge of the activity. He believes
that communication is key to a successful program and is the one factor that
promotes the effectiveness o f the booster organization. The teacher should
determine what the needs of the program are and communicate them with the booster
organization. It is the responsibility of the boosters as a parent support group to do
their best in providing the program with what they can. A procedure for fundraising
should be determined by the teacher. Once the budget has been agreed upon, then
the boosters and teacher should plan the activities to raise the money. The events
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then need to be recorded on the calendar with the Activities office. If the event is
going to involve the school name, it must be approved by the principal.
The band director’s view is very similar to the principal, the only addition is
that he believes the fundraising events should be planned and executed by the ways
and means committee, who's purpose is to organize and facilitate fundraising events.
School 2. The principal o f HS2 shares the same view as the principal of HS1,
that communication is the key to a successful program. The individual programs
need to set up a communications system to decide fundraising events. He holds the
athletic directors, the band director, choir director, and other teachers in charge of
programs responsible for the booster’s actions. He is attempting to teach the
teachers to get the most out of their parent support groups. In the past, the parents
have had control and the teachers allowed it. He is attempting to reverse the process.
Problems occur when parents feel they have control o f the programs over the
teacher/coach.
School 3. The principal felt that the MBC was successful with their two
fundraisers— the golf tournament and the concessions at the football games— because
they did a good job o f recruiting parent help at the beginning o f every school year.
He believes their success is attributed to communicating to the parents at registration.
He felt that if they waited too long into the year, parents would loose interest and not
be willing to help. The MBC usually begin during the summer recruiting key parents
from every sport and sent out information during student registration, before school
begins. By the first football game, the MBC usually has a working schedule of
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parents to work. The biggest inhibitor is trying to get enough parents to work and
get involved. That was why the MBC was created— because individual sports did not
have enough parents to have their own boosters. The MBC has been a strength
created out of the weakness o f the school community.
School 4. The best situation is one where the coach communicates his needs
to the booster organization, and they determine how best to raise the funds and what
activities will serve to achieve their goals. The boosters are involved in several
fundraising activities. They have no limits to what they can do and not do, so long as
the activity is legal, and does not involve any gambling or inappropriate activity.
The basketball coach also believes that for the success o f the boosters, they
should work closely with the coach. He feels his responsibility is to guide his
boosters how to raise the money. They should have full control o f the decision
making when it comes to what types o f events they want to work.
Booster 1. The factor that promotes the success o f booster fundraising events
is planning according to the band booster president The ways and means committee
o f the booster organization is responsible for presenting the idea to the board and the
director. The event is approved and the committee then plans the event with the
parents necessary. If the event is not well planned, it becomes a negative factor and
can damage the reputation o f the organization.
The athletic booster president believes that what the boosters do is their
business and what the coaches do is their business. He believes he has a successful
program and continues with the events the organization has developed over the
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years. The boosters receive most of their funds from selling ads in the game
programs and from sponsorships.
Booster 2. The band booster president o f HS2 also believes that planning is
the key to the success o f a fundraising event Communication is also a key—
communication with the directors, parents, students and the school. The more
stakeholders are included, the more successful the event
Booster 3. The president of the MBC participates in two fundraisers a yean
one is a fall project the football concessions, and the second occurs in the spring,
and that is an annual golf tournament The MBC believes that the success of the
events is dependent on the coaches and administration. The sports that benefit the
most from their events are the sports with the coaches that do the best job recruiting
for the MBC. Not all the sports take the initiative to ask their parents to get involved
in the booster organization; others require it
Booster 4. According to the president o f the basketball boosters, the coach
should be involved at all planning levels if the event is to succeed. The coach has
the final word on approving events and timelines. The boosters should be
responsible for the execution of the event, but if the coach has any specific
guidelines, he should have input. Students are a necessary component if they are to
have a good number o f families participate.
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Summary (Fundraising Events!
Clear communication between the booster president and the teacher/coach is
the one element stated in most interviews. District A in general does not believe
students should be involved in booster fundraising activities, whereas District B feels
students are an intricate part of fundraising for the booster organizations. Teachers
and coaches interviewed feel that they both should be involved in decisions
regarding fundraising events. Booster presidents interviewed also feel that
communication with the teacher or coach in charge o f the program is important if the
fundraising event is to be successful. Careful planning is also necessary for the
success of fundraising events.
Accounting and Auditing Procedures
Interviewees discussed the factors that can promote or inhibit a booster
organization if they do or do not have accounting and auditing procedures.
District A. The assistant superintendent felt that money raised by the
booster organization should be deposited in a separate bank account registered in the
booster name with a non-profit tax identification number. No certificated personnel
should sign on the account or be listed as a signer, but there should be two parent
signatures required to write a check. The organization should undergo a yearly audit
by an outside source to assure the security o f all funds. He would like to add into
policy regulations giving the district the right to audit the funds o f the booster club at
any time. He further explained that this would encourage the boosters to keep
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accurate records of their expenditures and deposits and would lessen the chance of
faulty bookkeeping. Boosters fall into trouble when they do not have a system in
place to account for their expenditures. The system needs to include two or more to
protect them.
District B. An ideal situation according to the deputy is that the district
should not be required to police funding matters. Because the boosters are an
independent organization, the district should have no reason to interfere with the
finances o f a booster organization. However, factors that inhibit boosters are ones
where there are no consistent auditing and accounting procedures in place.
School 1. The principal believes for the protection of the booster
organizations, the money raised by parents should all be deposited into the booster
account and the money raised by students should be deposited into the ASB account.
The band director also explains that for the protection o f the boosters, funds are
deposited into a booster account Inhibiting factors have occurred when procedures
are not followed. The director expressed that he has been fortunate that no major
problems have occurred during his time at this school.
School 2. The principal o f HS2 explained that the success o f the booster
organization could depend completely on how they handle their funds. He explained
the importance of consistent and accurate accounting procedures and annual audits.
He added that when boosters handle cash, a party o f people should count all funds,
never one individual and the cash should be deposited in the bank immediately after
the event takes place. It should never be kept at one person’s house for any length of
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time. All athletic funds must immediately be deposited in the ASB office, and they
should not even have to count it outside the office.
School 3. The principal explains that money raised by the MBC is placed in
an account maintained by the elected officers o f the MBC. The money should not be
mixed with any funds at school. The sub-boosters should all be maintained in the
same manner, in a separate account off campus. Problems could potentially occur if
procedures are not followed.
School 4. The principal had very few suggestions for the boosters. He
explained that the boosters have off-campus accounts with a checkbook that the head
coaches co-sign. The boosters are required to pay their tax and licensing fees,
however, the district pays for the insurance for all booster organizations. He
maintains the same attitude as the district office; booster business is their business as
long as it does not interfere with school business.
Booster 1. Booster organizations should have their own checking accounts,
according to both the band and athletic booster presidents. The band accounts
should be audited at minimum once a year, as written in the booster bylaws. The
procedures are explicitly spelled out in the recently updated band booster bylaws, as
are the procedures for handling the funds and depositing them into the account.
Booster 2. For their protection, the band boosters should have their own
accounts managed by the officers of the executive board, which include the
president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and the band director. The band
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booster president further explained that the band should have a functional set of
bylaws that regulate annual financial audits.
Booster 3. The MBC has its own account to accommodate the funds from
their two events. The sub-boosters are encouraged to have their own accounts. The
girl’s athletics and choir both have their own accounts and have a staff member sign
on the account as a precaution. This is their way of informing the person in charge
of the activity of the expenditure.
Booster 4. The president o f the basketball boosters believes that the account
should be kept separate from the school, and that the head coach is made aware of
the balance. They do not believe that a yearly audit is necessary, but one should
occur when there is a change o f presidents for the protection o f the accounts.
Summary (Accounting and Auditing Procedures!
All interviewees were conscientious about the auditing and accounting
procedures o f the booster organizations. Interviewees in District A, especially the
assistant superintendent felt the district should have more involvement in assuring
the procedures were done correctly. Administrators interviewed felt the boosters
were a high profile organization and could potentially create a problem if not
maintained properly. Principals especially voiced concern if the boosters had
financial difficulties, it could reflect poorly on the school. The principal of HS2
especially had concerns with how the boosters handle cash at events, and felt there
should be procedures in place to protect the booster organizations from fraud or
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embezzlement District B had a hands-off approach. There was a desire to have
audits and proper accounting procedures, but no desire to mandate the process.
Interviewees agree that it is to the benefit o f the booster organization to have
auditing and accounting procedures in place. However there is a difference of
opinion of whether the district should mandate the process.
Money Expenditure Decisions
Interviewees discussed factors that promote or impede money expenditure
decisions. Also discussed are the implications o f those factors on the booster
organizations.
District A. According to the assistant superintendent, the expenditure of
funds must be a joint decision between all the stakeholders. Problems occur when
there is lack o f communication between these parties. The district is forced to get
involved when funds have been inappropriately spent or when the boosters have over
spent Both are usually a direct result of miscommunication, mostly between booster
and teacher, or teacher and principal.
District B. As previously stated, District B does not believe that the district
should have any control in the raising or spending o f money raised by the booster
organizations. The deputy superintendent does believe that the boosters should seek
the advice and opinion o f the site administration and teachers running the program.
In theory, the boosters are an independent organization designed to support the
school.
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School 1. The principal o f HS1 emphasized that all funds raised benefit
students and the person that would best make those decisions would be the
certificated individual in charge o f the activity. He again stated that communication
is the key component, and it is the responsibility o f the teacher to effectively
communicate the needs o f the program to the boosters. The band director agrees that
what needs to happen on his part is to adequately prepare his budget for the boosters
specifically outlining where the needs are. He and the boosters discuss the needs
every spring and vote on the budget for the following year. The director believes in
open communication with his boosters and educating them on what the needs of the
program are.
School 2. According to the principal, the money expenditures need to be a
combined decision o f the teachers and coaches. They need to communicate clearly
and explicitly what their needs are, to best improve the program. The band director,
in agreement with the principal, he has the responsibility as an educator to make the
decisions on how best to prioritize the needs o f the program. The athletic director
states that this attitude is new to him, but he believes that the money decisions do
need to come from him.
School 3. The MBC distributes their funding through the point system based
on where the parents who work the fundraiser request the money be donated. The
principal states that this system has worked for his community. Factors that inhibit
the success o f this program are years when the MBC has too few parents involved in
helping with the fundraising events, then there are not enough funds for the requests.
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School 4. The principal explains that the head coach determines where the
money is spent The boosters communicate how much money they have and the
head coaches decide where the money is best spent The head basketball coach
agrees that the decision should be his to determine how the money is spent He
explains that he communicates his needs to the boosters and they, as a support
organization, raise the funds to acquire the necessary items.
Booster 1. The athletic booster president explains that the boosters make the
decision of where the money is spent He believes that the parents raise the money
and they should decide where it should be spent The coaches can make
recommendations and the boosters take into consideration how many students
benefit from the request The goal o f the boosters is to fund requests that benefit the
entire team and not individual players. He further expressed that the coach was
fortunate to have a president that he could trust. In the past, there were presidents
who would embezzle funds from the booster account and the coaches had no proof to
take any official action. He expressed that if he were not trustworthy, then the
coaches would need to take a more active role in the expenditures; however, it was
not necessary with him as president
The band boosters believe that the decision to spend the money is a joint
decision made by the boosters and the director. The director designed a line item
budget and brings it before the board for approval. The philosophy o f the band
booster president is that the director is the paid expert, and they are the volunteer
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support group. Problems occur when the boosters make decisions without consulting
the director first
Booster 2. The band booster president feels that it is the responsibility o f the
director to prepare a budget for booster approval if there are to be no problems. The
boosters are given the opportunity to discuss and question the expenditures. They
are rarely disputed, but the boosters reserve the right to approve all expenditures for
the program.
Booster 3. According to the president of the MBC, the factor that ensures
their success is communication with the administration and the coaches. The MBC
relies on the coaches to get information regarding individual fundraising events to
the parents. The actual expenditures are left to the individual coaches, the MBC only
allocates the funds.
The president o f the girl’s athletic boosters explain that expenditures are the
decision of the coaches. The boosters are sometimes consulted, but the decisions are
usually already made.
Booster 4. The funds raised by the basketball boosters should be distributed
in a joint effort from the coach and the parents. The coach should provide the ideas
for the expenditures and the parents should raise the money to meet the needs o f the
program.
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Summary (Money Expenditure Decisions)
Factors that support booster expenditures centered on communication. Most
interviewees in District A felt that the decision o f money expenditures should be a
joint decision. In District B, they also felt the decision should be shared; however,
the deputy superintendent continued his stand that booster business is separate from
school business. He did concede the need to communicate with the school to
identify the areas o f need. Administrators interviewed felt that expenditures should
be the shared decision between school personnel and booster organization. Most
teacher/ coaches interviewed also felt that they should be involved in the decision of
bow booster funds are spent All but one booster president interviewed also felt that
teachers and boosters should share the decision of how funds raised by the booster
organization should be spent.
Governance
Board Policy
Interviewees discussed their feelings regarding board policies, what they
promote or inhibit in a booster organization. Are board policies necessary to the
effectiveness o f the booster organization?
District A. The assistant superintendent explained that there are no current
policies in place; however, he feels that boosters would benefit from the guidance
board policies could provide. Not having policies in place is an inhibitor to the
booster organizations and the district There is currently too much room for error.
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District B. The deputy superintendent feels strongly that the district and
booster organizations remain separate. The district would be encompassing a great
deal of responsibility if they were to begin to mandate policy to booster
organizations.
School 1. Boosters need guidance from either the district or the site
administration, according to the principal of HS1. There are many school rules and
policies pertaining to students and schools that parents who usually work in the
business world are not aware of. Schools are in the business of kids and boosters
need guidance on how best to help them. The band director agrees with the
principal, he states that when there are clear guidelines for the boosters, they are
more effective. When roles are not defined or vague, that is when problems occur.
School 2. Guidance from the district needs to be provided from the district
according to the principal of HS2. The boosters can be a powerful group o f
individuals and the more documentation in writing one has helps to support the
purpose o f the boosters on a high school campus. The band director also stated his
desire for more explicit direction from the district
School 3. The principal o f HS3 feels that if the district is not concerned
about the board policies, then the site has nothing to be concerned about He does
not view the lack o f policies as an inhibitor for the booster organizations. The
athletic director felt that district policies were not necessary.
School 4. Because the boosters are an independent organization, they are
responsible for governing their own policies, however, the district should have a
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system of checking on the boosters to make sure there are no laws broken when they
run their events.
Booster 1. The band booster president would like more specific direction
from the district— the lack o f direction is a definite constrain to the booster
organization. He feels that the only time the parents hear the opinion o f the district is
when they have done something wrong, and it would be beneficial to the parents to
know what the district expects to avoid any conflict
The athletic booster president believes the contrary; he does not feel it
necessary for the district to give direction. He feels that if the boosters are doing
their job, the district should have no concerns.
Booster 2. The band booster president feels that it would be helpful to the
organization to know if the district had any expectations of the organization. She
also feels the constraint o f not knowing what the district expectations are and feels
that this could dramatically impact the success o f the booster organization.
Booster 3. The president of the MBC views board policy as an inhibitor on
the booster organization. Once board policy is written there is a finality to the
directive and no flexibility. Without written regulations, the boosters are given a
freedom that the schools do not have. As long as there are no regulations, the
principals can use boosters as a venue to accomplish tasks that they cannot
Booster 4. The president of the basketball boosters also view board policies
as an inhibitor, he did not feel it was necessary for the boosters to have policies to
govern their actions.
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Summary (Board Policy^
The general opinion of District A is that they view guidance from board as an
action of support The assistant superintendent stated that with more guidance, come
fewer mistakes. District B, in general, did not feel the necessity o f policy for booster
organizations and viewed it as an inhibitor. They felt that policy would create more
of a constraint for the organizations and less autonomy; however, if it were provided,
then the boosters would have more guidance in knowing what the expectations were.
Booster Club Bylaws and Training of the Booster Officers.
Discussed by the interviewee's were their beliefs o f booster bylaws and for
the booster members. What are the factors o f booster bylaws and training that inhibit
or promote booster effectiveness?
District A. The assistant superintendent stated that booster organizations
should have bylaws in place. The purpose for this is clear, consistent direction for
the parents. If all parties are on the same page, it leaves less room for error.
District B. The deputy stated that the district has no mandate for bylaws. He
stated that he hoped they were in place, but the district maintains the position of not
getting involved in booster business.
School 1. The principal believes that successful booster organizations have
bylaws and a system o f training within the organization. The band director states the
boosters have a set o f bylaws that are a live document and defines the purpose of the
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organization. Bylaws should be revisited and updated every 3-4 years. They should
address the training, or description o f every officer and their responsibility to the
organization and the program.
School 2. According to the principal bylaws are what govern the purpose of
the booster organization. If any inhibiting questions arise, boosters should be able to
find the answer in the bylaws of the organization. The band director stated that the
boosters should have a current updated set o f bylaws and stated that sharing of job
responsibilities should occur when new parents take office.
School 3. The principal feels that the boosters all should have regulations, or
a governing set o f rules that all members are aware of. The MBC should definitely
have bylaws in place, but does not feel the necessity for the smaller sub-booster
organizations to have them. The choir director feels strongly that bylaws are an
important component to his booster organization. To avoid unnecessary conflicts,
the bylaws are essential.
School 4. The principal feels that bylaws are important, as an independent
organization it is necessary for them to have specific guidelines to govern their
organization. He also feels that it is important for the officers of the boosters to
know their position, but it is not his place to interfere.
Booster 1. The band booster president feels that the bylaws are a living
document in need o f change and attention, and can be an area of strength for the
booster organization. The bylaws that suit the organization 20 years ago would not
suit the needs of the organization today. The purpose and direction o f the
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organization has changed and the bylaws need to support those changes. As for the
training o f the officers, he feels this is an area o f weakness and an inhibitor for this
organization. He would like for the school to take a more active role in training the
parents in the areas o f chaperoning and district policies regarding to student protocol.
H e is especially interested in student safety and confidentiality. Parents sometimes
have access to information about students that should not be shared, and they are not
aware o f this. Although he feels it should be common sense, when parents are
trained together, then there is little room for error, and students will not be
unnecessarily embarrassed.
Booster 2. The band booster president feels strongly that a coherent set o f
bylaws is necessary for a successful booster organization. She also felt that there
should be some type of formal or informal training. The more comfortable the
parents feel in their role, the more they will be able to accomplish and be effective.
Booster 3. The president o f the MBC feels it necessary to have bylaws or
regulations for their organization. It is necessary for consistency year to year.
Because the organization serves many programs, detailed regulations on the point
system are especially important The training o f the officers should be more
regulated and more formal. The beginning o f the year would be smoother if new
members were familiar with their responsibilities.
Booster 4. Bylaws are important according to the president o f the basketball
boosters. Bylaws can also be an inhibitor if too much is regulated. He prefers for
the bylaws to be general in format and not to mandate too many actions.
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Summary (Booster Club Bylaws and Training o f the Booster Officers)
Assistant superintendents and principals all agree that procedures need to be
in place to guide and govern booster organizations; however, they do not want to be
the responsible party to assure the governance o f the organizations. Teacher/coaches
and boosters, because o f their close working relationships, share common opinions
on by-laws and their importance. Interviewees, except the athletic booster president
from HS1, feel that by-laws are necessary for booster organizations. The teachers
and principals interviewed especially indicated that bylaws give definition to the
booster organization and would be beneficial to the organization. Most view the lack
o f bylaws as an impediment or weakness in the organization.
Political Relationships: Formal and Informal Power Structures.
Discussed were the relationships that should be in place between
administration, teacher/coach and booster presidents. What is the impact o f the
relationship between the booster organizations and the district the site principal, and
the teacher/coach in regards to the effectiveness o f the organization?
District A. The assistant superintendent believes that positive relationships
occur when there is open communication. With communication comes trust, when
the booster organization feels well-informed and teachers feel the boosters are open
and have no hidden agendas. Then a good relationship is built The administration
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needs to create an environment that is both open but independent with the boosters.
The most important factor is that all stakeholders are on the same page.
District B. The relationship with the booster organizations should be
relatively non-existent Aside from making sure that the insurance is updated, which
the district pays for, and tax-identification numbers maintained, the district should
have no responsibility over the booster organizations.
School 1. The relationship between teacher and boosters is vital; the
relationship between principal and booster is a support role. The principal o f HS1
feels that his role is minimal in the direct involvement, but the true relationship is
between the teacher and the booster organization. The purpose o f the boosters is to
enhance the school program; therefore, a positive working relationship with the
teacher is necessary. The band director agrees that the most important relationship is
between him and his president The president handles the parents and he handles the
students. Communication is the key component to the success of their year.
School 2. The relationship between the boosters and the principal should be
minimal. The boosters should know that they are supported by the administration,
but direct communication is made between the teacher or coach and the principal. It
should be the responsibility o f the teacher or coach to relay the information to the
boosters. The principal should only need to be present at social events.
The band director feels that a positive relationship is necessary for a
successful program. He explains that the parent community likes to feel valued and
involved, and it is to the school’s benefit to foster a positive environment for parent
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organizations. The athletic director has discovered that positive cnmmimiratinn and
relationships benefit his teams and feels they should be developed.
School 3. The principal believes that communication between the school and
the MBC is im portant There should be continual communication between the
coaches, administration and the boosters. It is important for the boosters to know
what the needs o f the different sports and activities are.
School 4. The principal of HS4 believes that a positive relationship with
boosters begin with positive relationships with individuals. He believes that it is
important to develop a good relationship with individual parents, then when they
belong to a booster organization a relationship is already in place. The relationship
with parents should not be for the purpose of the booster organization, but rather for
the individual. Trust is built, and the students are better served.
Booster 1. The athletic booster president feels that a good relationship is
important He has a unique situation because the principal and the football coach
were personal friends before they worked together at the school. Because o f the
history, there is trust, which he believes is the key.
The band president finds communication to be a key. He believes that open
communication between he and the director is the reason the program is successful.
He also believes that the principal needs to be accessible to the boosters. If the
parents are volunteering their time and efforts, communication is a sign o f respect for
the organization.
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Booster 2. The band booster president at HS2 feels that communication
between teachers and administration is essential to have the proper support for the
students. If the administration is not aware o f the activities the boosters are involved
with then support will be minimal.
Booster 3. The MBC president also agrees that communication is an
important component to the success of the booster organization. Because o f the
unique structure of this organization, regular communication and guidance from the
administration are meaningful. The girl’s athletic booster club president also feels
that understanding the coaches and their needs helps to spark interest in parents. If
the parents know the coaches are behind them, there is more o f a desire to achieve
the goals.
Booster 4. The basketball booster president also stated that the success of
parents depends on the involvement of the coach. Communication o f clear goals and
the knowledge that the coach is supportive o f parents’ efforts are significant
components.
Summary (Political Relationships. Formal and Informal Power Structures)
Teachers/coaches and booster presidents interviewed agree that good
relationships between them are necessary for a successful program. The assistant
superintendents do not feel booster organizations need a relationship with the district
office. The deputy from District B made it clear that he did not want any direct
communication with boosters. Two principals interviewed feel boosters should have
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a relationship with the principal and two do not; however, they all felt they supported
the boosters and the efforts they make to improve their programs. The principals all
felt that the principal’s role was to support the teacher/coach and the individual
parent rather that the booster organization as a whole.
Personnel
Staffing
Question one o f this study determined that booster organizations do not have
an official role in staffing employees. Therefore, interviewees had a difficult time
identifying factors that promote or inhibit the booster organizations.
Salaries
Discussed were the factors that promote or inhibit the effectiveness o f booster
organizations in regards to salaries of additional employees. Some boosters provide
or enhance salaries; interviewees discussed the procedures in place to provide
salaries to these employees and problems that sometimes occur.
District A. According to the assistant superintendent, salaries for primary
employees, assistant athletic coaches and some auxiliary coaches are provided by the
district. The boosters enhance some salaries for auxiliary staff in programs such as
bands and choirs. They feel the need to enhance the salaries provided by the district
are not enough. The district is willing to pay the additional salaries through the
payroll department; this would elevate the problems o f tax trouble for the boosters.
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The payment plans can all be set up for by the boosters, they can determine when the
staff gets paid and how much. The additional funds would preferably be given to the
district ahead o f time, if not the district will bill the boosters. If the payment is not
met, the position would be terminated. The other plan would be for the boosters to
pay the additional staff and file their own 1099 tax forms on all their employees.
District B. The district mandates how summer teachers are compensated for
summer athletic camps. This is done to regulate the salaries o f the coaches. By
policy, the coaches are paid an hourly rate and cannot exceed 40 hours a week.
Many athletic programs have summer camps with student fees raised by the boosters.
The boosters are advised to raise the funds before the camps begin, deposit the
money with the district, and the district pays the employees. No other employees
are paid for by boosters according to the deputy superintendent
School 1. The principal states salaries, and extra employees are a factor that
can inhibit the future o f a booster organization. He has known boosters that have
disqualified their teams from CIF championships because they took it upon
themselves to hire unauthorized coaches. Other programs, such as band programs,
can also find themselves in a bind if they are caught paying staff members without
the proper paperwork, such as 1099 tax forms.
School 2. The principal explains that the district should provide the salaries
for the assistant coaches and auxiliary staff. There should not be any enhancement
o f salaries made by booster organizations, although he knows off the record that they
do. The band director states that he agrees with the principal, the district should
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provide the programs more funding so the boosters would not have a need to raise
the funds to hire the personnel he needs to run his program. He fears that the district
will eventually tell the boosters they cannot hire the additional staff.
School 3. The principal of HS3 feels that his boosters are exempt from this
concern because the boosters do not raise any funds for salaries. The students pay
fees for the summer coaches stipend. The choir director stated that his boosters do
provide an accompanist for his choir and explained that the principal must not be
aware o f the expenditure.
School 4. The athletic salaries are all paid for by the district or the school site.
Boosters should not be responsible for supplementing salaries for additional staff.
The band program pays for their additional staff with funds raised by the coke
machines, therefore no booster funds are spent on salaries.
Booster 1 . The money the band boosters raise is not spent on salaries, the
funds brought in by student fees is spent on all additional staff. The band booster
president is concerned that the district will interject policy that prohibits the program
from hiring additional staff. The funds provided by the district are not enough to
hire quality instructors and need enhancement to maintain the staff they have.
Booster 2. The band booster president stated that she thought the district
should provide the funds for the auxiliary staff. She didn't understand why the
athletic department was able to be fully funded by the district but the band program
had to support itself. She also expressed a concern that the district would stop the
boosters from providing funds for additional staff.
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Booster 3. The president o f the MBC and the girl’s athletic boosters
president explained they do not provide funds for salaries. The choir booster
president said that they are faced with the additional burden of providing a salary for
the choir accompanist
Booster 4. The basketball president explained that to his knowledge the
district provided the athletic program with all necessary salaries. The boosters
concentrated their efforts on enhancing the program.
Summary (Salaries^
Booster Presidents and teacher/coaches interviewed agree that boosters
should not have to provide salaries for additional staff and view this as an inhibitor
on the booster organization. The administrators from District A were concerned that
boosters could find themselves in trouble if regulations were not followed. District
B administrators did not seem to think that their boosters provided any salaries. The
principal from HS3 was unaware that the choir boosters provided an accompanist
Summary o f Research Question 2
An overview o f research question 2 revealed that communication is the most
important factor to promote the effectiveness o f booster organizations, and lack of
communication is the largest inhibitor.
In the area of finance, teacher/coaches and booster presidents felt that finance
is a joint decision between them. When common goals are well-articulated, the
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boosters are successful. The athletic booster president from HS1 is the only booster
president that does not feel that coaches should have any input in financial decisions,
the supporting coach for his program felt he should assist the president in finance
decisions. Both assistant principals felt they should have no role in fund raising and
that the district should not provide all funding for extra-curricular programs.
Almost all interviewees felt there should be board policies and bylaws to
govern booster organizations. AB1 felt neither was necessary. Assistant
superintendents from both districts, as well as principals 1 and 2, felt they did not
need a direct relationship with the booster organizations. Most interviewees,
especially from District A, felt that that district personnel salaries could create a
problem for booster organizations.
Discussion o f Findings
The interviews conducted in this study led to a number o f findings:
• Finance decisions were made by booster presidents and teacher/coaches;
administration had no role in these decisions.
• Districts in this study had no board policy regarding boosters however, boosters
were governed internally by a set o f bylaws.
• Boosters in this study have no official role in hiring, evaluating or firing
personnel. But boosters some do provide salaries for additional staff.
• Open communication was identified as the key factor to promote the
effectiveness o f booster organizations in accomplishing their roles.
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Finance decisions were made bv booster presidents and teacher/coaches:
administration had no role in these decisions
At all four schools the booster organizations were involved in the planning
and facilitating o f fundraising events. In most booster organizations, the president
and the teacher o r coach discussed the expenditures of the funds raised by the
booster organizations. All four principals were not involved in the financial
decisions, rather, trusted the teacher or coach to make the appropriate decisions. At
HS2, this process was new to the athletic directors; they were accustomed to
allowing the principal and booster president to make the decisions. The athletic
director found the new system beneficial to their athletic program, he felt he
understood best where the needs of his program were, not the boosters or the
principal.
Audits were not consistent; the fine arts boosters interviewed appeared to be
regular and up to date on bookkeeping and audits. The athletic boosters at HS1 and
some of the sm aller athletic boosters mentioned by the athletic director at HS4 did
not appear to have annual audits. Several o f the booster organizations had the
teacher or coach sign on the checking accounts. This is inconsistent with the
district’s position o f non-involvement. Having an employee's signature on the
checks can make the district liable. The booster organizations interviewed had
updated tax-identification numbers required by the districts.
Despite the funds raised by the booster organization, several o f the extra
curricular activities and athletic programs charged students participation fees to
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enhance the booster budget The band programs in both HS1 and HS2 both charged
a $300 fee for students to participate in band, hi District B all the high schools
charge the athletes a fee to participate in the summer programs. The amount of the
fee varied from school to school. They were all aware that charging fees is not
acceptable according to the California Constitution that guarantees all students the
right to a free public education.
Districts in this study had no board policy regarding boosters however, boosters were
governed internally bv a set of bvlaws
The factor identified to be the largest inhibitor to the effectiveness of a
booster organization was lack of direction from the district. Most booster presidents
interviewed stated that their job as leaders would be easier if they had clear direction
from the district They explain that they are not educators and need the guidance to
work within the educational system. District assistant superintendents both
identified cases o f boosters in trouble when school procedures were not followed.
The assistant superintendent from District A stated that the problems would be
minimized if the district had clear guidelines. He further explained that he was
having a difficult time convincing his colleagues to adopt regulations for booster
organizations into board policy. He has been met with contention and doubts of
whether the district wants to open a new liability angle. He explains that with new
regulations, the district would be protecting itself, not opening new venues for attack.
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The argument has not been resolved. The deputy superintendent from District B had
no desire to have any board policies regarding booster organizations.
Boosters in this study have no official role in hiring, evaluating or firing personnel.
But boosters some do provide salaries for additional staff
All participants’ interviews agreed that hiring, firing and evaluation of
employees was a responsibility o f the principal or teacher/coach in charge o f the
program. Three of four principals interviewed use booster members as advisors on a
panel o f interviewers when interviewing for a teacher or head coach. The position
on the interview panel was advisory only. The point was made clear by all four
principals interviewed that booster parents had no role in personnel issues. The point
was echoed by the teachers and coaches interviewed. Most booster presidents
interviewed stated that they did not want the responsibility of personnel issues. They
admitted that some booster members in their organization would make comments
regarding personnel issues when they were unhappy with student performance
however, it was never in an official capacity. Booster presidents admitted that their
members were guilty o f giving their opinion o f the teacher/coaches regardless of
whether it was welcomed or n o t The principals all stated that they listened to the
comments and still made their own decisions regarding the teacher/coach. The
principal o f HS4 did admit that he released a coach after investigating a concern first
brought to him by a booster parent He further stated that he may not have known
about the problem if a parent booster member had not spoken to him.
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Open communication was identified as the kev factor to promote the effectiveness o f
booster organizations in accomplishing their roles
All parties stated during their interviews that clear communication was the
key to a successful program. The district officials both stated that problems occur at
their level when goals have been not been clearly communicated. The trouble the
principals and teachers had experienced in the past had all been the result of booster
presidents and the teacher or coach not communicating prior to the incident All
booster presidents, teachers, and coaches interviewed described their relationships
with each other as positive, when asked to identify why, they all responded they
were able to effectively communicate with each other.
Conclusion
In the two districts involved in this study, the booster organizations have a
role in the decision-making process regarding financial decisions. They also have a
governance structure that is not mandated by the district However, in many of the
schools, the principals ask the teacher/coach to monitor the bylaws and financial
audits. In the area o f personnel, it was clear that the booster organization had no
official role in hiring, evaluation or firing o f employees. However, in many
interviews by principals and booster presidents, there were instances mentioned
where an employee was hired, evaluated, or fired due to a “concern” brought up by a
booster member to an administrator.
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CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
High schools rely on parental support to help fund athletics and extra
curricular activities. Communication between school and parents can foster
programs that are successful for the students. How the school administrators relate
to parents can create an environment that will nurture trust It is vital for the
principal to create school wide policies and procedures that will provide an adequate
balance o f structure and freedom for developing comprehensive school wide
partnership (Burke & Picus, 2000). According to Burke and Picus (2000),
empowered and well-informed parents are often active supporters o f their school’s
administration and are willing to help solve problems and raise additional funds for
the school.
This qualitative study was designed to examine the role of the booster
organization in regards to finance, governance, and personnel issues. The
investigator conducted interviews with assistant superintendents o f business affairs,
principals, coaches and teachers in charge o f booster organizations, and booster
presidents. The four schools were intentionally chosen for the involvement o f their
booster organizations in their school programs.
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Summary of Study
The scope o f the study was limited to four schools in Orange County. The
conclusions identified in this study were derived from an analysis o f interviews
conducted from assistant superintendent o f business, principals, teachers and coaches
in charge of booster organizations, and booster presidents. The interview questions
were designed to investigate the roles in the three areas of finance, governance, and
personnel issues.
Research Design
This case study used a qualitative analysis to provide the definition of the
booster president’s role in the areas o f finance, governance, and personnel issues.
Three research questions guided this study.
Research Questions
The research questions addressed by this study are:
1. What decision-making roles do booster organizations play in supporting
programs?
2. What factors seem to promote or inhibit the effectiveness o f booster
organizations in accomplishing their roles?
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Sample and Population
D istrict District A is a High School District located in Orange County,
California, and serves a student population o f approximately 30,000 students in
grades 7-12. The district is comprised o f 8 comprehensive high schools, 8
comprehensive junior high schools, 4 continuation/alternative education high
schools, and 1 magnet school serving grades 7-12. The district is growing in
enrollment The district spans over four cities and serves a diverse population of
students.
District B is also a High School District serving grades 9-12 in 4
comprehensive high schools and 1 alternative education high school. District B
services approximately 10,000 diverse students in three cities.
School. The researcher selected the following schools because of the booster
involvement at the school. All schools met the minimum two active booster
organizations. HS1 is located in the center o f the district and is considered a low
SES populated school. The student body is primarily minority. More than half of
the students receive free or reduced lunch and breakfast This was once a
predominately Caucasian school and has seen the change in the last 20 years.
HS2 the newest high school in the district. The homes surrounding the
industry rich area are large and fairly new. The student body is primarily Caucasian.
Most students have a double income household and a community that is extremely
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supportive o f all the activities and dedicated to academic excellence. There are many
parent organizations to support both academics and activities.
HS3 is one of the older schools in Orange County with a rich history and
tradition. This school has also seen a great deal of transition o f its population.
Currently the student body consists o f 70% Hispanic. The school has parent support
system that is unique, because they have one primary booster organization and
several sub-boosters that function under the umbrella o f the Master booster Club.
HS4 is the located in the hills o f an older established neighborhood of large
homes, many o f which have horses and equestrian access. The parents and
community are very similar to HS2 they support the academic achievement o f the
students.
Instrumentation
The study involves a case study methodology designed to explore current
perceptions o f decision-making powers in booster organizations in the areas of
finance, governance and personnel decisions. A series o f structured interview
guides designed was used to focus each interview to maintain consistency with the
guiding questions o f the study. Interviews were sought with the district
businessperson, principal, the teacher/coaches having responsibility for the specific
programs, and booster presidents.
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Main Findings and Implications
Based on an analysis of the data, the following findings were made:
Finance decisions were made bv booster presidents and teacher/coaches:
administration had no role in these decisions
The role o f the site administrator should be one o f support It is strongly
suggested that an administrator attend monthly booster meetings. Principals have
many responsibilities and often feel overwhelmed with duties and responsibilities,
but with booster organizations must take a pro-active approach and show support by
attending as many functions as will allow in his/her schedule. By attending events
and meetings, administrators will have a working knowledge o f booster activities
and the appropriateness of their contributions to the school programs. Many
problems can be stopped before they become problems.
Booster presidents are encouraged to work together with the teacher or coach
to identify general common goals and philosophy of the program. One-on-one
relationships are important between the teacher/coach and booster president. The
two must meet on a regular basis and develop a system o f communication. Regular
meetings between the teacher/coach, booster president and other important officers
will assist in the communication and development of common goals. This will lead
to a deep understanding o f priorities set by the teacher/coach. The booster president
can then assist the teacher/coach to relay the priorities to the organization. The
booster organization exists for the benefit o f their children and will support a positive
effort to improve their program. The teacher/coach needs to have the ability to
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address the booster organization on a regular basis, such as monthly meetings, to
demonstrate their faith and support in the parent booster organization.
Teacher/coaches must work together with booster presidents to establish financial
goals and priorities to support the philosophy of the program. The establishment of
common financial priorities will provide direction for the fundraising events to be
hosted by the booster organization. Priorities will develop naturally with a common
philosophy. Fundraising events should be the combined decision o f the
teacher/coach and booster president. However, it should be the responsibility of the
booster organization to facilitate the event after it has been approved through the
teacher/coach and booster board. Booster organizations need to concern themselves
with the regulations in the Education Code regarding the involvement of students in
fundraising activities. Events should be placed on a school-wide activity calendar to
ensure school support for the event, and not to compete with any school activities.
Regulations regarding fundraising for booster organizations should be addressed in
the ASB handbook or in a parent booster guidebook to identify the procedures
regarding fundraising. The guidance book should also address accounting and audit
procedures.
The booster organization should undergo an annual financial audit of all
accounts and bookkeeping to protect the funds raised by the booster organization.
The audit should be conducted by an outside agency to ensure validity o f the results.
Booster organizations need to have their own checking and savings accounts to be
maintained off campus. For the protection of the school and district, the accounts
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should not have a teacher or coach sign on the account Procedures for handling
cash and specific guidelines on the appropriateness of counting and depositing cash
should be addressed. To avoid any suspicion boosters should not have cash in an
individual's house, or only have one person responsible for counting cash intake.
Districts in this study had no board policy regarding boosters however, boosters were
governed internally bv a set of bvlaws
District policy should include guidelines for booster organizations to protect
the interest o f the schools and district, and also provide guidance to the booster
organizations. Guidance is especially necessary in the areas o f how the district
would prefer boosters to account for funds and in paying salaries for additional staff.
A concern was expressed in District A that boosters have folded due to
unconventional methods of payment to additional staff.
Booster organizations should have and regularly update a set o f bylaws to
govern the organization. The bylaws should include at minimum: (a) statement of
purpose or definition, (b) officers necessary and their definition or list of duties, (c)
regulations regarding election of officers, (d) finance section to define accounts, who
signs checks and method o f approving expenditures, (e) financial audits, and (f)
definition o f the role o f the teacher/coach with the booster organization. Principals
should keep a copy o f all the booster bylaws in a central location in the main office
for reference. Booster presidents should provide the principal with updated copies of
officers and changes made to the bylaws.
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Boosters in this study have no official role in hiring, evaluating or firing personnel.
But some boosters do provide salaries for additional staff
Booster members should not have a role in personnel decisions. A principal
may want to use a parent as an advisor on an interview panel, however it should be
made clear to the parent that their role is advisory only. Personnel decisions should
be the responsibility o f the principal or teacher/coach. Controversy occurs when
booster members are involved in personnel decision. Because booster members are
usually parents, accusations can be made that recommendations were given to
protect the interests o f individual students. This can be a conflict o f interest, and
does not reflect positively on a program and can create negative publicity for the
school.
Open communication was identified as the kev factor to promote the effectiveness of
booster organizations in accomplishing their roles
A system of open communication should be developed between
teacher/coach and booster president; between teacher/coach and principal; and
between booster president and principal. All problems can be avoided with open
communication. Communication builds trust in the organization, which will lead to
a successful program for students. Many districts depend on the funds that are
provided by booster organizations to add to programs what they cannot The
challenge is that many districts are tentative in their approach with booster
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organizations. Boosters can be a catalyst for pride or shame for a district and some
districts and administrators are afraid to embrace ownership because there is a fine
line between the positive and the negative impact o f the booster organization.
Recommendations for Additional Research
Based on the information gathered as a result of this case study, the following
recommendations are made for additional research:
An evaluation o f finance structures of different organizations such as ASB or PTA in
comparison to booster organizations
The system o f expenditures, accounting and audits is not consistent between
organizations. There are few networking opportunities for booster organizations to
share ideas o f how to do this. In larger national organizations such as the PTA,
finance systems are standardized for all independent schools to follow. Booster
organizations could benefit from some generalized system.
Evaluation o f districts with board policies regarding booster organizations
An examination of districts with board policies regarding booster
organizations would beneficial to administrators and booster organizations. Districts
with policies are not the same, some have very explicit policies, and others have
general guidelines. It would be worthwhile to determine what policies promote or
inhibit the effectiveness o f booster organizations.
152
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The effects of effective communication
Interviewees identified communication as the key factor to promote the
effectiveness of booster organizations in accomplishing their roles. Further research
is recommended on strategies to teach effective communication to school
stakeholders to improve school relationships.
153
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APPENDIX A
STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE
General
1. What is your position?
2. How long have you been in this position?
3. How large is your school?
4. How many students/parents are involved in this program? How many boosters do
you have/ what programs do they support?
5. Tell me a little about your program.
Fundraising:
1. How much o f the total program budget does the Booster Club raise?
2. Describe a resent fundraising event at your school.
3. Who determines what the fund raising events are?
4. What types o f fund raising events do the Boosters sponsor?
5. Who decides where the money is expended?
6. Do the students participate in raising the money?
7. Are the students aware o f the purpose o f the fundraisers?
8. Do they see the results o f the fundraising?
9. What are the accounting procedures/ where is the money deposited?
Governance:
1. Are there guidelines given to the Booster Club by the district?
2. Does the Booster Club have a set of bylaws?
3. Is there any training for boosters in regards to what they can and cannot do?
4. Describe the relationship between the Booster organization and the principal?
Between the Booster organization and the teacher/ coach? Is there shared
decision-making?
5. What has been done to facilitate a positive relationship between the Booster
organization and the principal? Between the Booster organization and the
teacher/coach?
Personnel
1. How are auxiliary staff/ assistant coaches hired?
2. What is the booster involvement in hiring and firing a teacher/ coach?
3. Who evaluates them?
4. Where do their salaries come from?
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APPENDIX B
REQUEST TO DISTRICTS
TO: Assistant Superintendent
FROM: Anna M. Corral
DATE: March 27,2001
RE: Request to Study Schools
Dissertation Proposal: Case Study o f the Role o f Booster
Organizations in Fund Raising, Governance Issues, and Personnel
Decisions
The Purpose of the Study
California has undergone major changes in how schools are financed.
Athletics and extra-curricular activities have had to fight for their existence in
schools. Because many programs rely on the financial support o f booster groups,
schools may feel pressure to acknowledge and react to their desires regarding
personnel decisions. Schools must be able to balance the involvement of their
booster club in the various school programs, while realizing that they are still
ultimately responsible for the direction of the programs. The student’s experience
will improve if school programs can fully benefit from parental involvement This
can happen when there is a clear understanding and agreement regarding the role of
the booster organization in finance, governance, and personnel decisions.
Booster organizations provide a venue for parental involvement at California
public high schools. By nature o f the program, parents are involved by supporting
the participation o f their children in extra rehearsals, practices, games, performances
and functions such as fund raising events. Research suggests that once parents are
on campus for positive events, they support the school and become advocates o f the
educational process.
This study can serve as a valuable tool, which will provide high school
administrators and teachers with information that will help them better understand
the dynamics and expectations o f parent booster clubs. This study will enable
administrators and teachers to address issues and identify expectations of booster
groups before they become areas o f conflict and, hopefully, build better relationships
with all parent groups on campus. This study will also aid administrators and
teachers to be equipped to create effective policies and procedures for booster
organizations. H ie strategies established can be utilized so those problems arising
from lack o f direction or guidelines will be reduced. This study may be used as a
tool for schools when reviewing and/or revising existing bylaws, regulations, and
board policies concerning booster organizations.
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Research Questions
• What role should a booster organization play in supporting extra-curricular and
co-curricular programs at California public schools?
• To what extent is the booster organization accomplishing it’s role supporting
extra-curricular and co-curricular programs in view o f the a) district, b) school, c)
boosters?
• What is the impact that a booster organization has in supporting extra-curricular
and co-curricular programs?
Study
The case study approach will be used through interviews with the following:
• District Administrator in charge of Business
• Principal
• Teacher and Coaches in charge of Booster Organizations
• Select Parent Booster members
Request
Permission is requested to study two high schools o f different social economic
standings with two or more booster organizations.
161
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Asset Metadata

Creator Corral, Anna Maria (author)

Core Title A case study of the role of high school booster organizations in fund raising, governance issues, and personnel decisions

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Education, administration,Education, Finance,Education, Secondary,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Advisor Picus, Lawrence O. (committee chair), Chidester, Margaret A. (committee member), Wohlstetter, Priscilla (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c16-197560

Unique identifier UC11329518

Identifier 3065775.pdf (filename),usctheses-c16-197560 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 3065775.pdf

Dmrecord 197560

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Corral, Anna Maria

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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