Abusing a good idea can ruin it for everyone.

Non-profit agencies in Sioux Falls learned that recently and, unfortunately, Rapid City nonprofits may be forced to learn the same lesson soon.

In Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls School Board has prohibited nonprofit agencies from sending pamphlets and flyers home in student packets.

The practice had been fairly common - as it currently is here - and was a distribution method used by sports and youth cheer clubs, extracurricular groups and others interested in reaching the young, school-aged market.

But all good things must come to an end - or be forced to end, in this case.

In Sioux Falls, the practice was brought under the microscope when an ad stating "abortion hurts women" found its way into the distribution process. From there, it wasn't long before the practice of distributing nonprofit information through students came to an end.

As much as we see the value in distributing nonprofit information through the school district, we see the reasoning behind the move to prohibit it completely. Because the system is open to misuse - and therefore putting a school district in a position it may have to defend itself - no one in the school district should be burdened with making the final decision of what's OK and what's not.

We would hope common sense could rule the day and the practice could continue in some form. We don't think it can, but the Rapid City school board may prove us wrong.

In Rapid City, the district isn't ready to throw in the towel on nonprofit information distribution just yet. Superintendent Peter Wharton said he's aware of the Sioux Falls decision and the Rapid City School District attorney and school board will review the policy currently in place.

But, he said, there is a lot of good information from the YMCA, boys club, youth services and many others that is distributed, and he hopes the district can find a compromise and continue getting the information to area students and their parents.

We applaud the Rapid City district for not following in lockstep with Sioux Falls. After all, the information distributed serves the families who receive it as well as the nonprofits that send it to them.

But we know it's litigious society and sooner or later - in light of the Sioux Falls School District incident - the district will find itself in a position it will have to defend itself. That's a worst-case scenario the district can't afford.

Wharton said any change, if any is made, would likely take place at the beginning of the fall 2009-2010 school year. We'd expect student packets to be coming home just a little lighter next year.