DFK Policy Redline Draft

                                                                                          Board Policy Manual
                                                                          DeKalb County School District



Board Policy DFK: Gifts and Bequests                                                       Status: DRAFT

Board Policy DFK: Gifts and Bequests                                                       Status: ADOPTED

Original Adopted Date: 09/11/2000 | Last Revised Date: 07/20/2009 | Last Reviewed Date:
09/04/2025




REDLINE VERSION


Gifts and Bequests
PUBLIC DONATIONS
   I. Donation Consideration:

        A. No donation will be accepted that permanently alters the physical plant without the
           approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee. That approval will be based on
           the review of a detailed plan for the alteration or proposed construction and on the
           following criteria:

              1. The donation must enhance the programs and services normally provided by the
                 school or must add to the beauty of the facilities.

              2. The donation, if in the form of goods or equipment, must be in acceptable
                 condition and must not need repair.

              3. The donation will become the property of the DeKalb County Board of Education
                 (“Board”) and shall be subject to reallocation at another site without consultation
                 with the donor.

              4. The donation may or may not be repaired or replaced as it becomes damaged or
                 obsolete.

              5. When applicable and/or necessary as determined by the DeKalb County School
                 System (“School System,”) proof of title must be presented by the donor upon
                 request by the School System.

        B. No donation of physical education materials or equipment or playground equipment
           will be accepted, unless it meets with the safety standards and the guidelines set forth
           by the appropriate district administrator.

        C. No donation will be accepted that does not benefit or promote the instructional
           program or beautify the facilities of the Board.
       D. An accepted item which requires installation must be installed by the Department of
          Plant Services and Development. Upon receipt of any donation, the donation receipt
          form 7241463/480 must be completed and copies properly distributed. All donations
          that exceed $5,000.00 in value will be formally presented to the Board by the Chief
          Operations Officer or his/her designee.

       E. The donation must not obligate the Board to a continuation of funding without
          approval by the Board prior to the acceptance of the donation.

       F. The donation must not imply endorsement of any business, commercial product,
          political party, or unacceptable philosophy. Public recognition of the donation does
          not imply endorsement of the above.

       G. Donations shall be accepted without promise or expectation of any benefit whatsoever
          to the donor.

  II. Guidelines for Submittal and Acceptance

     The Board and the staff of the School System recognize and appreciate the valuable
     support from individuals, PTA and community groups, and others in the contribution of cash
     and material gifts. Because of concern for the safety and well-being of DeKalb County
     children and School System staff and employees, however, certain specifications must be
     met before donations will be accepted and certain procurement procedures must be
     followed after acceptance. The criteria and procedures to be followed for submittal and
     acceptance of specific types of donations are as follows:


Gifts and Bequests Overview

The DeKalb County Board of Education reserves the right to approve or decline any donation not
consistent with the district’s educational mission, values, or equity goals. Any donation that is
expressly conditional upon the district’s use for a specified purpose, involves real property, or
obligates the district to future operating, maintenance, or replacement costs requires board
approval. Routine donations of supplies, instructional materials, or minor improvements that do not
create ongoing obligations may be accepted through administrative approval. The following table
outlines the required level of approval based on the value of the donation.

 Approval From                                    Donation Amount
 Board of Education                               More than $30,000
 Superintendent                                   $10,001 - $30,000
 Principal                                        $10,000 or less


Donations, bequests, or gifts made through the DeKalb Schools Educational Foundation, Inc. are
district property and are subject to the same thresholds, review processes, and approval
requirements established in regulations.

Trusts and
        A. Monetary Gifts
1. Monetary gifts for special projects: Monetary gifts made to the School System to
   be utilized for proposed construction or improvement projects (all projects to
   build a new structure or add to, modify or renovate any building structure or
   grounds). Monetary gifts for special projects may be made by outside
   organizations, individual citizens from the community, and/or groups affiliated
   with the School System (i.e., parents, booster clubs, PTAs, etc.) that are approved
   by the Superintendent and the Board,

   All monetary gifts for special projects must be approved by the Superintendent.
   All monetary gifts to be used for special projects must be transferred to the
   School System and the School System must be the entity that enters into any
   written agreement with contractors to perform work for the proposed
   construction/improvement project. The School System, with use of the gifted
   funds, will be responsible for obtaining any services needed for the project and
   for securing qualified contractors for the project pursuant to Board Policy DJE
   and applicable state law regarding public entity bidding. Notwithstanding any
   other language in this policy, all monetary gifts for special projects that exceed
   $5,000.00 must be presented to the Board for formal acceptance and approval.

   The individual and/or organization wishing to make a monetary gift to the School
   System for a special project must work in conjunction with the school or director
   affiliated with the facility to which the proposed construction or improvement
   will be made and must adhere to the following approval procedure:

   The principal/director must provide the appropriate district administrator with a
   detailed memorandum regarding the proposed project that must include the
   following information:

       description of proposed construction work to include exact location and size;

       Sources of funding and amount of funding to be gifted;

       Any obtained estimates for the proposed construction work (including any
       consultant services);


       plans or specifications created for the proposed construction work;

       Understood scope of work to be undertaken for the proposed construction
       work;

       Proposed time frame for construction and known impact of the proposed
       construction on the school and students;
            A copy of any agreement or contract entered into by any person or
            organization responsible for the monetary gift and any consultant firm
            providing services for or related to the proposed construction work;

       The district administrator will review the memorandum and any supporting
       documents or plans and determine accuracy, completeness, and the feasibility of
       the proposed construction/improvement project. The district administrator will
       communicate to the principal/director as to whether any additional information is
       needed and as to any concerns regarding the intended
       construction/improvement project and funding.

       The district administrator will notify the principal/administrator once approval of
       the proposed construction/improvement project and its funding has been
       granted. Any changes to the scope of work, including time frame for construction
       work, will be communicated with the notice of approval.

    2. Monetary gifts for goods and/or equipment: Monetary gifts intended for a
       specific school, department or for the School System as a whole to secure goods
       (i.e., uniforms, training materials, etc.) and/or equipment (computers, exercise
       equipment, media equipment, etc.).

       All monetary gifts intended to secure specific goods and/or equipment must be
       approved by the Superintendent. All monetary gifts for goods and/or equipment
       that are over $5,000.00 must be transferred to the School System and the School
       System must be the entity that enters into any written agreement with
       contractors to obtain and supply the goods and/or equipment. The School
       System will be responsible for obtaining vendor quotes and/or bids for the goods
       and/or equipment pursuant to Board Policy DJE. Notwithstanding any other
       language in this policy, all monetary gifts for goods and/or equipment that exceed
       $5,000.00 must be presented to the Board for formal acceptance and approved.

       The individual and/or organization wishing to make a monetary gift to secure
       goods and/or equipment for any school or department in the School System must
       work in conjunction with the appropriate school principal or center director to
       ensure appropriateness of the goods and/or equipment and to provide written
       notification to the appropriate district administrator of the proposed gift.

B. Equipment

    1. The Superintendent or his/her designee will determine if equipment or goods to
       be donated meet any bidding specifications for that type of equipment or goods
       that is already in use in the School System.

    2. Equipment and/or goods not in use in the School System and/or for which no bid
       specifications exist must be researched and inspected by the appropriate
       designee from either the Operations Division or the Instructional Department, or
       both, to ensure compliance with school system standards, goals, etc.
              3. An accepted item that requires installation must be installed by the Operations
                 Division and/or a system approved or selected vendor/bidder.

              4. Upon receipt of any equipment donation, the Donation Receipt Form
                 7241463/480 must be completed and copies properly distributed. All donations
                 of equipment or goods that exceed $5,000.00 in value will be formally presented
                 to the Board for acceptance and approval.

C.     Real Property

1.      The Board shallboard will not actserve as trustee or manager of any trust or fund.
Although the Board may accept donations of real property, individual Board member is authorized to
accept The board may accept donations of real property or to , but no individual board member can
accept real property or establish trusts or funds for the benefit of any School System student on
behalf of DCSSon behalf of the district or its students. The superintendent or designee will establish
a valuation of any donation and may require the donor to provide a valuation or documentation of
actual costs incurred. All donations of real property require board approval before acceptance.

Special Projects

Monetary gifts for special projects, including construction, renovation, or improvement of school
facilities, must be approved by the superintendent and comply with Board Policy DJE and applicable
procurement laws. Such projects must be managed through the district’s procurement processes,
and the district will be the contracting entity for any related work. When applicable, proof of title must
be presented by the donor upon request by the district.