LAKE ELSINORE - Often, students who participate in campus fundraisers are rewarded by a special assembly during school, but that practice is under scrutiny by Lake Elsinore Unified School District officials.

A parent's complaint about whether the practice unfairly segregates students who did not participate in fundraisers for a variety of reasons has prompted officials to draft a proposed policy to regulate school assemblies.

"I don't see what you are gaining by excluding kids," said Wildomar resident Elizabeth Swenke, the mother who voiced her concerns. "Teaching 5-year-olds that life isn't fair, is that what PTA fundraising is all about? Is that the job of our public schools?"

Campus fundraisers are held by most public schools during the school year. Typically, a school and private company collaborate, with students selling items such as wrapping paper or cookie dough to earn money for their school and the company offering rewards encouraging the students to sell. Sometimes, as an incentive, they offer to put on an assembly honoring students who participated.

One version of Lake Elsinore's proposed policy states that only students who participate in a fundraiser can attend the reward assembly. Another version calls for all students to attend, regardless of whether they took part.

Trustees reviewed the options at their December meeting but did not make any decisions nor comment extensively on which way they were leaning. It remains to be seen whether trustees will vote in a new policy or maintain the status quo. As it stands, administrative regulations on assemblies are fairly vague and do not ban reward assemblies.

"I am just for not hurting children," Trustee Sonja Wilson said.

"I don't know if there is an absolute right or wrong to any of these," Trustee Tom Thomas said of the rough draft policies.

The issue arose at Ronald Reagan Elementary School, where Swenke's son attends third grade. The school joined with a private company to conduct a fundraiser that began in September. The organizers handed out trinkets during the course of the campaign to those selling items and offered a special reward assembly in November for all students who sold at least one item.

The reward assembly was part of the company's fundraising package and not solicited by the school's PTA. Swenke said she volunteers weekly in her son's class, and knew there were children who could not participate either because they did not have enough money to buy items for sale, or because their parents did not have time to take them around the neighborhood to solicit sales, and it would be unsafe for the children to go alone.

She said that, over the course of several months, she pleaded with her school's principal and campus PTA to hold the reward assembly after school or allow all students to attend, but to no avail.

In the end, she said, the reward assembly, which featured dogs doing tricks, was held on a November morning, and the students who attended gushed to those who did not throughout the rest of the day.

At the board's November meeting, Swenke told board members that every student, especially in a public school, should be made to feel equal with the other students.

"Schools should be a safe haven, where how much money your parents have, your living situation, and how often your parents are visible on campus should not determine how you are treated," she had said.

But at the December meeting, several PTA members spoke against banning reward assemblies, saying their group, as well as campus booster clubs and Associated Student Body groups, which conduct similar reward assemblies, would suffer.

The PTA moms argued that their group works hard to raise money to buy schools computers and pay for field trips, and that they need to offer incentives to help make their fundraising efforts successful. They said all students benefit from the funds raised in the events, even those who don't participate.

The parents questioned whether a change in policy would mean all students also get to attend honor roll reward assemblies even if they got Cs and Ds, and perfect attendance reward assemblies, even if they were absent a lot.

"Where does it end?" said PTA mom Susanne Anderson.

They also said that offering reward assemblies to students who participated in fundraisers teaches them that hard work pays off, and that trying to keep children from discovering the realities of life does them a great disservice.

"It is far greater to give them a helping hand than to give them a handout," said PTA mom Catherine Pallares.

"I am OK with not attending all assemblies," said seventh-grader Jacob Anderson, Susanne's son. "I would be bummed out about it, but I would get over it."

Kim Urness, who has been involved in Lake Elsinore and regional PTA groups for 21 years, said reward assemblies are very common and that ASB and booster clubs often use them, too. She said campus fundraising would take a serious hit if the practice were banned.

Swenke said she agrees that reward assemblies for things such as honor roll are different from fundraising ones. She also said perhaps a good solution would be to conduct the reward assemblies after school.

She said she thinks the policy could be tweaked to take all aspects into account.

One of the draft policies suggests that board members could regulate when certain assemblies take place. The drafts also include clauses stating that perhaps all students should attend the academic and athletic reward assemblies, too, as a way to encourage and motivate everyone to do better.

The drafts also include a clause suggesting that students who do not attend reward assemblies of any kind could be given an activity that doesn't seem like a punishment.

Trustee Jon Gray said the board is "just studying" the issue, and that everyone's comments and opinions "will go a long way" toward the board's decision.