Schools halt door-to-door sales

PALMER -- It's that time of year again. Students from across the Valley are busy selling everything from magazine subscriptions to wrapping paper, from greeting cards to candy. But a revision to the administrative regulation governing fund-raising activities in the Mat-Su Borough School District may change the way schools go about raising money and students go about selling.

Although most fund-raising packets come with safety tips, many students violate the most important one: no door-to-door sales. The new ordinance prohibits them entirely for students in grades kindergarten through eighth. The old regulation didn't prohibit door-to-door sales explicitly and only pertained to students in kindergarten through sixth grades.

"There was a gap in the regulations for middle schools before. It was hard to tell kids in sixth grade that they couldn't sell door-to-door when older kids in the same building still could," said Kim Floyd, the school district's public information specialist.

Students in grades nine through 12 may sell door-to-door, but they must have adult supervision. In addition, they must follow basic safety guidelines such as wearing reflective clothing.

The revision in the safe-selling portion of the regulation may limit the amount of money schools are able to generate through fund-raisers.

"But one student's injury is not acceptable to me," said Bob Doyle, chief school administrator, at last week's school board meeting.

The administration is trying to counter the loss schools may feel from the new guidelines by changing the percentage of gross receipts the schools must keep. Floyd said that many of the fund-raisers used in schools now generate more money for the fund-raising companies than for the schools.

"Of every dollar generated [in some fund-raisers], only 45 cents stays with the school," she said.

But under the new regulation, the schools must keep the majority of the gross receipts.

Scott Daugharty, principal of Tanaina Elementary says the new regulation will make it harder for his school to raise money. Tanaina participates in QSP gift-wrap sales. The school gets only 45 percent of the money raised. Proceeds go to help pay for things like field trips, native dancers at the annual fifth-grade potlatch or guest speakers at assemblies.

"We're going to have to look for new sources for generating income," said Daugharty.

But Floyd said the change in the safety regulations makes it important for schools to look at ways to get a bigger share of the pie.

"Without door-to-door sales, you're really looking at family sales and sales to colleagues [of parents] for raising the bulk of it," said Floyd.