The controversy started after the Soccer Club of Los Gatos distributed a list of soccer classes to students in both Los Gatos and Saratoga elementary schools. The top of the flier read: "the Los Gatos­Saratoga School District supports the not-for-profit."

A letter from the club leaders regarding an upcoming fundraiser was also attached to the list. The club is trying to raise money to install all-weather turf at the Los Gatos High School soccer field.

Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union High School District board members believed the flier to be misleading, saying that the club's proposal has yet to receive official approval from the district.

At the April 2 board meeting, Superintendent Cindy Ranii clarified that no action has been taken to establish a partnership with the soccer club. The issue will be presented as an informational item by soccer club coach Mike Karr at the board's April 20 meeting.

"I have not thrown my support for this," Ranii said. "I'm waiting for April 20 to hear about it."

Ranii said she believes Karr, who is spearheading the effort, is a well-meaning, energetic member of the community, but he needs to first come before the board of trustees to seek approval for the project.

"It has not been approved by the board," Ranii said. "It has not at this point been supported by Los Gatos High School."

Soccer club officials said that they did not intend to suggest that the project had board approval but rather were under the impression that any fliers sent to the schools needed this statement.

"I can't have the fliers put out in the school unless we are a not-for-profit or it says what it does," Karr said. He said that he received approval for the fliers before they went out to schools.

"Before they put the stamp on it, [the school] could have told us. But that's how you learn when you start a new relationship," he said. "I just handed it to them and they approved it. I think because it's the first time I put a flier out into the school district, we needed better communication."

Though he believes both parties contributed to the confusion, Karr does not understand what the fuss is about.

"I'm not too sure that indirectly supporting this is a bad thing for [the school district]. They are going to be part of a group that is championing fields for kids," he said.

But school officials are also expressing concerns that the soccer club held a fundraiser April 2, before gaining the board's approval for the project.

LGHS Assistant Principal Doug Ramezane said he has met with Karr to explain the process the project must go through to be approved. Before going before the board, Ramezane said it would help if Karr had some of the cash already raised plus a well-defined fundraising plan.

"[Karr] would have a great opportunity to get it approved if he had the money raised," Ramezane said.

The process can't inconvenience students at the school, Ramezane said, since the students come first.

"The idea is a good idea," Ramezane said. "But the school definitely has to have priority for the field, and it has to benefit students at Los Gatos High School."

As for how soon the project could be completed, Ramezane said he believes the fields are about a year away.

"It could be a good thing, but it has to be approached properly," Ramezane said.

The soccer club scheduled the fundraiser before the board meeting to show that the organization was financially sound and had sufficient funds to complete an initial soil testing, said Karr. The school reportedly told the club that if it met both criteria, it would have a better shot at board approval.

"I think because our club is new and we are the first to go through this process, we are taking the brunt of the 'what if' questions. But what are you going to do? Someone has to be the catalyst," Karr said.