DHS fundraising to be restricted

DICKINSON - Dickinson businesses and residents should see considerably less fundraising by Dickinson High School students in the future.

Beginning this fall, all DHS athletic teams and academic organizations can only conduct fundraising activities for summer camps or competitions beyond the state level. This follows a practice that was implemented this past school year at the elementary school level, where fundraising can now only be done for non-educational items.

Superintendent Dr. Paul Stremick discussed the change for this fall during Monday’s regular monthly meeting of the Dickinson School Board.

“The fundraising to raise funds to purchase warm ups or things of that nature, or shooting shirts, those no longer will be allowed,” he said.

Instead, part of what will happen is some of the funds will be redirected from pop machines to fund activities, he said. Stremick said the move is a serious change from what’s taken place in the past, when teams and organizations conducted fundraisers for a variety of reasons.

“There will be lots of questions,” he said. “This will be a change.”

Stremick reminded board members the hockey and baseball teams are still considered “club” sports, so those teams do not fall under the new fundraising rules.

Board member Mitzi Swenson served on the committee that produced the revisions and told the board the reality is the changes are a work in progress, as there are likely things that will come up that will have to be discussed.

“It should make a marked decrease in our fundraising, which was our goal,” Swenson said.

Stremick said the board also needs to keep in mind the Dickinson Booster Club and the DHS Music Booster Club both exist and may continue to fundraise as they have in the past.

“We think there is going to be some people that this will make extremely happy,” Swenson said.

In an unrelated matter, the board approved the addition of two new reading courses at Hagen Junior High and the addition of a modern literature and integrated math course at DHS.

A handout for the board states DHS Principal Ron Dockter requested the modern literature course be added for seniors. The course allows students to study modern short stories, novels, poetry and drama.

He also requested the integrated math course as a preparatory course for algebra II. The new math course is to integrate topics studied in algebra I and geometry to provide students with a deeper understanding of concepts needed to be successful in algebra II.

At the junior high, Principal Perry Braunagel requested the literature course as an elective for seventh grade students who are better readers. The class is to provide opportunities in drama, short stories, essays and a novel.

Braunagal also requested the reading course for students in grades seven and eight who are struggling readers who are not on an individual education plan. The course is to focus on word skills, vocabulary development, survival reading and reading comprehension.

All four courses are being added without the need of adding staff.

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