IPA Gets School Board Approval to Use Games of Chance as Fundraisers

The school board at its meeting Monday officially approved the Instrumental Parents Association of the  as a booster organization.

The recognition allows the group to apply for a Local Options Small Games of Chance license from Allegheny County, which requires that any organization applying for the license be considered a booster, or non-profit, organization. 

The license permits the booster club to legally conduct games such as bingo, 50/50, lottery or anything involving the sale of tickets.

“We’re not changing the way they operate,” said school board director Robert Barto. “It’s just that this booster club wants to do more than what most of the other clubs are doing in terms of participating in games of chance.”

Annette Nolish, president of the IPA, said it's good record-keeping practice to have the status. 

"We've been a booster organization for decades," but the official status "gives us the flexibility to look at different fundraising ideas and events," she said. 

Money that the organization raises is divided equally among the students of the high school marching band and used to reduce the costs of participation, such as travel and expenses to the St. Patrick's Parade in Chicago, where the band has been asked to perform in the spring. 

"The more money we can raise as an organization, the less the kids have to raise individually or parents have to contribute," she said. 

While the school board’s approval for this license will be permanent, the group will have to renew its license with the county annually.

“We’ve done this before, but we haven’t done one in a long time,” said school district solicitor Michael Witherel during Monday's discussion.

Besides approving the request, a motion was also made to let all other booster clubs and fundraising organizations know about their ability to apply for a Small Game of Chance License. 

Editor AmyJo Brown contributed to this report.