Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities 9-12
Eligibility For Extracurricular Activities 6-8
Board Policy 504.8R
All students must take at least a minimum class load during the period of eligibility. It is a privilege and an honor to be able to participate in extracurricular activities and represent this school district. The student and the school are judged by the participant's character and conduct at all times. Senior High students serve as a model to many people and their attitude has an important impact on others. Any student, whose habit and conduct in and out of school, during both the school year and during the summer, are not consistent with the ideals, principles, and the standards of the school district, shall be declared ineligible.
A. Any student who is observed by a staff member or a law enforcement official, or admits to, or at a judicial or administrative proceeding is found by substantial evidence to have:
Possession, use, sale, manufacture, purchase, or distribution of tobacco products, regardless of the student’s age;
Possession, use, sale, manufacture, purchase, or distribution of illegal drugs or the unauthorized possession, use or purchase of otherwise lawful drugs;
Possession, use, sale, manufacture, purchase or distribution of alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine.
Being in attendance at a function or party where underage persons know or have reason to know that alcohol or other drugs are being consumed illegally by minors and failing to leave and thus are in violation of state and federal laws shall be considered in violation of the Code of Good Conduct.
Visual evidence may substantiate a violation. If, on the basis of evidence it is deemed a violation, the student will be ineligible for the period of time as described in the code.
Engaging in any act that would be grounds for arrest or citation in the criminal or juvenile court system (excluding minor offenses such as traffic or hunting/fishing violations). Regardless of whether the student was cited, arrested, convicted, or adjudicated for the act(s).
Inappropriate or offensive conduct such as, but not limited to: fighting with staff or students, insubordination (talking back or refusing to cooperate with authorities), hazing or harassment of others (Note: this could include group conduct).
Repeated violations of rules and regulations established by the Clarke Community School District and/or the Board of Education
B. A student who has been found to have violated his/her extracurricular eligibility shall be penalized as follows:
Sanctions
Any student in violation according to the aforementioned stipulations will be dealt with according to the following minimum consequences:
First Offense
The student will not be permitted to participate in activities for 1⁄4 of the season and make a commitment of 10 hours of community service to school or community approved sources. If a student denies guilt and then is proven guilty, the ineligible period will be raised to 1⁄2 the season plus previous requirements.
Second Offense
The student will not be permitted to participate in activities for ½ of the season, make a commitment of 20 hours community service to school or community approved source, and if the violation falls under board policy 504.8R the student must participate in an approved program that addresses the behaviors that led to the violation of policy. Administration will provide a written statement of attendance in the program before eligibility is reinstated. If a student denies guilt and then is proven guilty, the ineligible period will be raised to the full season.
Third Offense
The student will not be permitted to participate in activities for 1 calendar year in which he/she was participating during the time of the violation or in which he/she plans to participate after the violation, make a commitment of 30 hours community service to school or community approved source, and if the violation falls under board policy 504.8R the student must participate in an approved program that addresses the behaviors that led to the violation of policy. Administration will provide a written statement of attendance in the program before eligibility is reinstated. If a student denies guilt and then is proven guilty, the ineligible period will be raised to the full season.
Fourth Offense
The student will not be permitted to participate in activities for the remainder of his/her high school career.
Special Provisions
When a student athlete participates at more than one level of competition in a sport (e.g. – junior varsity and varsity) the period of ineligibility is measured against the higher level of competition at which the student athlete participates. The period of eligibility will be served at that level of competition and will include all other games/meets in the interim at any level of competition. If the higher level of competition plays an abbreviated schedule (e.g. – Sometimes only a few games may be scheduled at the junior varsity level in a sport which generally schedules several more games) the period of ineligibility will be measured against the more full schedule of the lower level competition.
If a student’s period of ineligibility begins at a point in the season or activity where less than the ineligible number of contests or performances remain, the ineligibility will carry over into the next season or activity. The percentage of contests or performances in which the student has been ineligible will be computed. The student will be ineligible for the remaining percentage of the activities in his or her next season or activity. All fractions of 1⁄2 or larger will be rounded off to the next whole number.
If a student begins to serve a period of ineligibility during a sport season but fails to participate in that sport for the entire season, no ineligibility will be reduced from the original sanction. A student must complete a sport season in order for the period of ineligibility served in that sport to count. A student may not join an activity once the season has begun in order to serve out their suspension.
The student must practice during the period of ineligibility if the coach/ sponsor of the activity requires attendance at practice for 1st and 2nd offense only.
Students who have been suspended from school or placed on an in-school suspension are not eligible to practice or participate in public performances or contests while under suspension, including the afternoon and evening of the final day of the suspension.
Students who participate in the student activities program are subject to the policies of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, Iowa High School Music Association, and the Iowa High School Speech Association.
Each activity sponsor shall retain the prerogative to add additional regulations pertaining to their activity (e.g. –training hours, attendance requirement at practice, etc.) but shall not be allowed to impose additional sanctions beyond the code. A copy of these regulations must be approved by, and be on file with, the principal and/or activities director. Once a student has been declared ineligible to participate in an activity for a period of time, reinstatement of eligibility in that activity will be accomplished only with the approval of the activity sponsor.
Failure to complete community service or other stipulations on time = double suspension.
In the event that a situation occurs which is not covered in this code, the building principal and/or activities the director will provide a ruling based upon the intentions of the code.
Reporting Procedures:
a. Teachers/School personnel are required to report violations of Code of Good Conduct to the Activity Director or Principal that they have seen or admission of guilt by student.
b. The law enforcement system/court system will report violations of Code of Good Conduct to the juvenile court liaison officer/or school personnel.
c. Student admission of violations of the Code of Good Conduct to the Activity Director, Principal, or School Personnel.
11) Honesty Clause – if a student comes forward to an Administrator or School Personnel to admit (self-report) a violation of Code of Good Conduct prior to a finding of guilt by the administration, the a student's penalty may be reduced by one half for sanctions of 1st Offense and 2nd Offense. This would be for the suspensions of activities, only, not community service. This clause would not be in effect for the student’s 3rd Offense of Code of Good Conduct. The honesty clause is only applied to procedures (a) and (c) of the above Reporting Procedures. The honesty clause is not applicable to Reporting Procedure (b) when the law enforcement/court system is involved.
Notice to Student
The Principal and or Activities Director, upon receiving determination that a student has violated the Code of Good Conduct, shall promptly mail or deliver to the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) (or to the student if 18 years of age or older and not residing with a parent or guardian) a written
Notice of Violation of Code of Good Conduct which shall contain the following:
1. The student’s name and the names and addresses of the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s).
2. A statement as to the time, place and circumstances of the violation the student is determined to have committed.
3. A statement describing the consequence to be imposed upon the student for violating the Code of Good Conduct and the effective date on which such consequences shall commence.
C. A student will not be eligible to compete in interscholastic activities if the student:
1. is 20 years of age or older;
2. does not have a physician's certificate of fitness issued during the school year.
3. has attended high school for more than eight (8) semesters. Twenty (20) class days of attendance during any one semester or participation in one interscholastic contest constitutes one semester;
4. was not enrolled in school during the last semester;
5. entered school during the current semester later than the second week of school;
6. has ever accepted an award for participation in high school athletics from a non-school group, other than an inexpensive, unframed, unmounted paper certificate of recognition;
7. has ever accepted any money for expenses or otherwise, for participating in an athletic contest;
8. has competed on a non-school team as a team member, or as an individual, while participating in the same sport and during that sport season on a school team as a team member, or as an individual without the previous written consent of the superintendent or his designee;
9. has ever trained with a college team or participated in a college sport event;
D. The student and parents of the student shall be notified in writing by the Activity Director/designee of any loss of eligibility and the reasons therefore and shall, upon request, be given a hearing before the Activity Director. The decision of the Activity Director may be appealed to the Principal. A decision of the Principal may be appealed to the Superintendent. A decision of the Superintendent may be appealed to the Board of Education.
E. This policy shall apply to students whether or not the violation occurs during the school year and whether or not the student has participated in extracurricular activities prior to violating this policy.
NOTE: The above listed extra-curricular/co-curricular activity eligibility rules apply to eligibility. Each coach/moderator may have his/her own rules and regulations regarding practices, attendance, curfews, training rules, etc.
F. Furthermore, to participate in extracurricular activities (including practices), a student shall be in attendance from periods (5-8) of the day of the contest. In cases of extenuating circumstances, which can be verified, the building principal or designee may waive this rule.
Also, each student athlete may be required to submit proof of sufficient insurance with a family accident policy before participating in an activity or practice.
G. Voluntarily Seeking Assistance
A student and/or parent may voluntarily seek help from school personnel for a student’s use or abuse of alcohol or other controlled substance before being found to be using or possessing such substances by school or law enforcement officials. The school district will keep the request in confidence and not seek to make it serve as a basis for disciplinary actions as long as professional help is procured. If that student continues to use, possess or distribute controlled substances, disciplinary action may be pursued by the school district.
“Scholarship Rule,” 36.15(2)
Included Activities: Athletics, Music, Speech, Clubs and Organizations
Local Adaptations along with State mandated rules.
1. A student must receive credit in at least 4 subjects at all times.
2. Pass all and make adequate progress toward graduation to remain eligible.
3. If not passing all classes at the end of semester, the student is ineligible for the first 30 consecutive calendar days in the interscholastic athletic event in which the student is a contestant.
4. Requirement that member schools report interventions on CSIP.
5. A “student with a disability” and an IEP is judged based on progress made toward IEP goals.
6. Students who participate in an activity to fulfill the period of ineligibility must complete the season in good standing
7. The period of ineligibility shall be served immediately if the student is participating in an extracurricular activity at that time, or if not, it shall be carried forward to the next full activity in which the student participates. Students are not allowed to join an activity after practices have begun in order to serve a period of ineligibility. If the time remaining in the activity is insufficient to exhaust the period of ineligibility then any remaining period of ineligibility shall also be carried forward.
A student who fails to attend practice during the period of ineligibility or who fails to
successfully complete the extracurricular activity season during which the ineligibility
occurs shall be deemed not to have served the prescribed period of ineligibility and shall
remain ineligible until the prescribed period of ineligibility is completed.
Academic Requirements
Statement of Philosophy: The Clarke School District believes in the importance of academics and co-curricular activities. We believe that a student’s performance in the classroom is as important as a student’s performance during an extracurricular activity.
The rules governing academic eligibility for sports and extracurricular activities will be:
A. The student must be a full-time student.
Sponsors of extra-curricular activities will check the academic eligibility of their members at mid-term and at the end of each quarter throughout the season. These grade check dates will be specified at the start of each school year.
The Activities Office will check grades of all student athletes on these dates to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Students who receive a letter grade of two (2) D- ‘s or lower, or one (1) F (or NC) will receive a verbal warning and parents will be notified.
After the initial verbal warning, any athlete/participant receiving two D-‘s or more, or one (1) F at the end of a mid-term/quarter, will immediately be on probation and will be required to attend a minimum of (2) study table sessions a week after and/or before school. This period of probation will last until the next grade check. Failure to attend will be grounds for becoming ineligible until the end of that grade check period.
If at the conclusion of the next grade check of being on probation, a student has not improved the grades to no more than one (1) D- grade, the student will meet with the AD in consultation with the Principal and Sponsor to determine their continued status of probation and/or eligibility.
Students that are ineligible and participating in events that leave during the academic day may not travel with the team. If the team leaves after the academic day has ended they may travel with the team, but cannot dress in uniform.
If any student athlete or participant in extra-curricular activities receives three (3) D- 's or lower at the end of the first semester, the student will be put on academic probation until the mid-term of the 3rd quarter. This will involve attending at least (2) study table sessions every week. The (3) D- policy for the end of the second semester will include 10 hours of community service and attend any summer school opportunities provided by the district.
B. This academic ineligibility policy is in addition to, but does not replace the Iowa High School
Athletic Association Eligibility Rule, which remains in force where applicable.
C. Students involved in co-curricular activities are to hand assignments, take tests, and fulfill all other
responsibilities before departing for these events.
E. Dates of eligibility will be based on the yearly school calendar.
F. Eligibility periods include all extracurricular activities.
G. Students must practice during ineligibility.
What Days are Included in the “30 Consecutive Days?”
If at the end of any grading period a contestant is given a failing grade in any course for which credit is awarded, the contestant is ineligible to dress for and compete in the next occurring interscholastic athletic contests and competitions in which the contestant is a contestant for 30 consecutive calendar days.
Appeals
Any student who is found by the administration to have violated the Good Conduct Rule may appeal this determination to the superintendent by contacting the superintendent within 3 days of being advised of the violation. The penalty will be in effect pending the superintendent’s decision. If the student is still dissatisfied, he or she may appeal to the school board by filing a written appeal with the board secretary at least 24 hours prior to the next board meeting. The review by the board will be in closed session unless the student’s parent (or the student, if the student is 18) requests an open session. The review by the Board will be run like a hearing and the student, the student’s representative and administration will all have an opportunity to present their respective case to the board. The grounds for appeal to the school board are limited to the following: the student did not violate the Good Conduct Rule; the student was given inadequate due process in the investigation and determination; or the penalty is in violation of the Handbook Rule or Board Policy. The penalty will remain in effect pending the outcome of the meeting with the board. If the school board reverses the decision of the administration, the student shall be immediately eligible and shall have any record of the ineligibility period and violation deleted from the student’s record.