The rules and regulations of the District and state associations shall be in effect for all events in which students participate, representing the District, during or after school hours, either on school premises or off school premises for events considered school sponsored or school approved activities. This policy includes athletics, speech, drama, music, academic competitions, FFA competitions, FCCLA activities, cheerleading, dance, homecoming royalty speaker at graduation and other school related events, competitive conference activities or performing or participating in any activity as a representative of the District.
Penalties for violations after school hours or at designated places for events will be the same as during regularly scheduled school hours or on school premises except where a special discipline policy has been specified. This includes particular rules and regulations established by the Department of Education, director of the activity, special temporary restrictions imposed on the students prior to this scheduled event, and any other mandates determined by the administration.
Additionally, the executive Boards of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) may sanction member and associate member schools that permit or allow participation in any event by a person in violation of the eligibility rules or by a student who has been suspended from school and/or school activities in accordance with local rules.
General Extra-curricular and Co-curricular Activities Policies
- Students who participate in the above extra-curricular and co-curricular activity programs are subject to the rules and policies governing activity eligibility participation and the training and conduct rules set down by the coach or sponsor, twenty-four hours per day, year round. Students may be declared ineligible from activity participation by the athletic director, principal or the Superintendent/designee for violation of any of these rules and policies.
- The principal/designee shall be responsible for informing coaches/sponsors of activities which students are not eligible for participation.
- A student with an unexcused absence during any part of the school day or who was not present the last half of the school day will not be eligible for activity participation on the day of the absence, unless approved by the principal/designee.
- Freshmen (ninth grade students) may not participate in junior varsity football and basketball or varsity interscholastic athletic competition in any sport or cheerleading except with the recommendation of the coach/sponsor, and, approval of the athletic director/principal, in consultation with the parents or guardians.
- Beyond the freshman year, a coach may cut a student from an athletic activity before the first contest by notifying the athletic director/principal and the parents/guardians of the reason why the participant is being cut.
- A student will not be penalized for non-participation (practice or contests) during regularly scheduled vacation periods, if that student is excused from these by his/her parent or guardian. Communication between the parent/guardian, athletic director, and coach is required prior to a participant’s absence that will occur during a scheduled vacation period.
- A student may not be dropped from practice or competition during the season or during tournament play unless he/she has violated the Districts or coach’s good conduct rules or the Department of Education eligibility rules. In the event that a student is to be removed for this cause, the athletic director/principal will be notified and will be a part of the decision and the appropriate action. The parent/guardian shall be notified of the action taken.
- If a student drops one activity for good cause during the season, he/she will not be penalized for participation in any succeeding activity for which he/she is eligible for the same good cause offense.
- Athletic directors, coaches, and sponsors have the prerogative to establish reasonable training and conduct rules, when not in conflict with District policy and regulations, for a particular co-curricular activity or competition, all of which must be followed by the participants, including but not limited to, the special rules below. Those rules shall be sent to the students' parents/guardians before the activity commences.
Extra-curricular and Co-curricular Activities Eligibility Rules
- Eligibility may be compromised if any of the following are true:
- You do not have a physician's certificate of fitness issued this school year.
- You have attended high school for more than eight (8) semesters (twenty days of attendance or playing in one contest constitutes a semester). Middle school students who have completed more than four (4) semesters in 7th or 8th grade may not be eligible to participate in middle school activities.
- You were not enrolled in high school last semester or if you entered school this semester later than the second week of school and were not enrolled in school immediately prior to enrolling at the high school. (Not applicable to the middle school.)
- You have changed schools this semester, except upon like change of residence of your parents/guardians. (Not applicable to the middle school.)
- You have been declared ineligible under a prior school district’s Good Conduct Rule, and then, without having completed the full period of ineligibility at that school, transfer to the high school. You may not be eligible for interscholastic competition at the high school until the full period of ineligibility has been completed. Once that time period of ineligibility has been completed, you are then immediately eligible for interscholastic competition at the high school as far as any Good Conduct Rule is concerned.
- You have competed on an outside school team as a team member or as an individual while out for a sport during that particular sport season without the previous written consent of your current coach, athletic director, and parent/guardian with the exception of dance.
- You have ever trained with a college squad or have participated in a college event.
- Your habits and conduct both in and out of school are such as to make you unworthy to represent the ideals, principles, and standards of your school.
2. Scholarship Rules for Athletics
a. Application of Scholarship Rules
- Scholarship Rules apply to all member and associate member schools that belong to the IHSAA and the IGHSAU. Schools may not allow ineligible or suspended students to participate. The IHSAA and the IGHSAU have the power to impose sanctions upon schools that do not enforce Scholarship rules.
- In addition, Scholarship Rules apply to all students who are members of any recognized District Activity.
b. The requirements of scholarship rules for Athletics are found in the Good Conduct Policy section of this policy Series.
Scheduling of Events
- The Board and administration realizes that the amount of participation in co-curricular activities does limit the amount of time a student may spend on academic preparation and progress. Therefore, the following are considered as appropriate limitations:
- Scheduled contests will conform at all times to the state association rulings and adhere to recommendations made by these agencies.
- The activities and/or athletic director will be responsible for the scheduling of all high school activities and the athletic director will be responsible for scheduling athletic events at the middle school. All schedules must be approved by the middle or high school principal.
- The Superintendent shall consult with appropriate entities regarding protections for staff and students in activities, including appropriate social distancing measures during a pandemic or other health emergency, and whether the district's participation in the activity should be suspended for a period of time.
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Approved: 5/13/13
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Reviewed:
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Revised: 6/10/19; 8/10/20
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