Section 5-511 - School athletics, publications, and organizations(a) The board of school directors in every school district shall prescribe, adopt, and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations as it may deem proper, regarding (1) the management, supervision, control, or prohibition of exercises, athletics, or games of any kind, school publications, debating, forensic, dramatic, musical, and other activities related to the school program, including raising and disbursing funds for any or all of such purposes and for scholarships, and (2) the organization, management, supervision, control, financing, or prohibition of organizations, clubs, societies and groups of the members of any class or school, and may provide for the suspension, dismissal, or other reasonable penalty in the case of any appointee, professional or other employe, or pupil who violates any of such rules or regulations.(b) Any school or any class activity or organization thereof, with the approval of the board, may affiliate with any local, district, regional, State, or national organization whose purposes and activities are appropriate to and related to the school program.(b.1) Private schools shall be permitted, if otherwise qualified, to be members of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association except that private schools located in cities of the second class which are members of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association shall, if they so elect, be assigned to a district or section outside of the geographical boundary of the second class city but contiguous thereto, and shall participate in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association sponsored athletic contests in that section. The association shall not prohibit a private school from being a member solely on the grounds that the coach or a member of the coaching staff of any athletic team is not a teacher, or professional employe, either full-time or part-time, at such private school, except that this provision shall not apply to coaches or members of the coaching staff initially employed after January 1, 1965.(c) The board of school directors may (1) permit the use of school property, real or personal, for the purpose of conducting any activity related to the school program, or by any school or class organization, club, society, or group, (2) authorize any school employe or employes to manage, supervise and control the development and conduct of any of such activities, (3) employ or assign any school employe to serve in any capacity in connection with any of such activities.(d) Notwithstanding the use of school property or personnel, it shall be lawful for any school or any class or any organization, club, society, or group thereof, to raise, expend, or hold funds, including balances carried over from year to year, in its own name and under its own management, under the supervision of the principal or other professional employe of the school district designated by the board. Such funds shall not be the funds of the school district but shall remain the property of the respective school, class, organization, club, society, or group. The treasurer or custodian of such funds shall furnish to the school district a proper bond, in such amount and with such surety or sureties as the board shall approve, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties as treasurer or custodian. The premium of such bond, if any, shall be paid from the fund or funds secured thereby or from the funds of the school district, at the discretion of the board. The treasurer or custodian shall be required to maintain an accounting system approved by the board, shall deposit the funds in a depository approved by the board, shall submit a financial statement to the board quarterly or oftener, at the direction of the board, and shall submit the accounts to be audited in like manner as the accounts of the school district.(e) All purchases of materials or supplies made by any organization, club, society or group or by any school or class shall be made by the purchaser in accordance with the requirements of section 807.1. (f) The board of school directors of any district is hereby authorized to appropriate any monies of the district for the payment of medical and hospital expenses incurred as a result of participation in such athletic events or games, practice or preparation therefor, or in transportation to or from such athletic events or games, or the practice or preparation therefor, and for the purchase of accident insurance in connection with such participation and transportation.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, art. V, § 511. Amended 1949, April 14, P.L. 460, § 1; 1949, April 26, P.L. 726, No. 178, § 1; 1972, Oct. 16, P.L. 916, No. 219, § 1, imd. effective; 1974, June 26, P.L. 370, No. 125, § 1, effective 7/1/1974; 1984, June 29, P.L. 438, No. 93, § 1, imd. effective; 2002, June 29, P.L. 524, No. 88, § 4, effective 7/1/2002.