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Suspension, dual sports changes addressed in handbooks
By Diane Vance/Gate City Staff Writer
The Keokuk School Board approved the 2009-2010 Keokuk High School Student-Parent Handbook and the Coach’s Activities Handbook at its June 29 meeting.
KHS Assistant Principal Gary Benda, KHS secretary Janice Lindner and Activities Director Mike Niece made notes of items to change throughout the year.
Board member Tyler McGhghy asked about the in-school suspension policy.
“A change made there says a student placed on in-school suspension may not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities during the time they are suspended,” Niece said. “It’s left up to the administration.”
“We left the word ‘may’ in there because it could be that a student causes a disruption in just one class,” said Principal Michelle Lukavsky. “We will have the discretion to say whether a student can participate in an extracurricular activity or not.”
“It’s a great motivator,” added Benda.
Students in out-of-school suspension are excluded from attending school or any school event until they are reinstated into school.
Coaches asked for a change to allow students to participate in more than one sport per season, said Niece.
Previously, the district discouraged participation in dual sports. Policy stated that a student needs to be at the complete practice for each squad or team. The change leaves scheduling discretion up to the coaches.
The Student-Parent Handbook will read, “In the event a student wishes to participate in two activities at the same time, coaches will determine the student’s practice and game schedule. The student and parents will meet with either the coaches or the activities director to review the student’s schedule.”
Students participating in extracurricular activities must be in good academic standing. The standard has been that students finishing a quarter of the year with an incomplete on their report card were not eligible to participate until the work was made up. If a student passed all courses when the incomplete was made up, the student became immediately eligible again.
Now, the changes for academic eligibility read, “Teachers must have administrative approval to issue an incomplete. Eligibility will be determined after a conference with the student, a parent/guardian and an administrator.”
The Coach’s Activities Handbook also updates the good conduct policy, which hadn’t changed since he was hired six years ago, Niece said.
Part of the current policy that results in a student being declared ineligible to participate in an extracurricular activity reads: “Violation of law or commission of delinquent acts which result in the student being placed on formal or informal probation under the jurisdiction of a probation officer.”
That is changed to: “Commit theft, vandalism or any act that would be a violation of the law and grounds for arrest or citation in the criminal or juvenile court system, excluding minor traffic offenses, regardless of whether a student was cited, arrested, convicted or adjudicated of the act(s).
“A student will be found in violation of the district’s Good Conduct Rule if the violation is observed by a staff member or law enforcement official, the student admits the violation or the violation is supported by substantial evidence provided in a judicial or administrative proceeding.”
Also added to the coaches handbook for the upcoming year:
Volunteer coaches must be approved by the school board each year and each year they must be approved prior to the beginning of the season they will be volunteering. Volunteer coaches may work at any grade level. A volunteer coach receives no stipend but is a person who has been asked to be on staff by the program director.
Volunteer coaches, like any other coach, must have all certification documents on file in the central office prior to coaching.
Head coaches and activity sponsors need to obtain administrative permission for all departure times modifying the student’s instructional day.
KHS Assistant Principal Gary Benda, KHS secretary Janice Lindner and Activities Director Mike Niece made notes of items to change throughout the year.
Board member Tyler McGhghy asked about the in-school suspension policy.
“A change made there says a student placed on in-school suspension may not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities during the time they are suspended,” Niece said. “It’s left up to the administration.”
“We left the word ‘may’ in there because it could be that a student causes a disruption in just one class,” said Principal Michelle Lukavsky. “We will have the discretion to say whether a student can participate in an extracurricular activity or not.”
“It’s a great motivator,” added Benda.
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Coaches asked for a change to allow students to participate in more than one sport per season, said Niece.
Previously, the district discouraged participation in dual sports. Policy stated that a student needs to be at the complete practice for each squad or team. The change leaves scheduling discretion up to the coaches.
The Student-Parent Handbook will read, “In the event a student wishes to participate in two activities at the same time, coaches will determine the student’s practice and game schedule. The student and parents will meet with either the coaches or the activities director to review the student’s schedule.”
Students participating in extracurricular activities must be in good academic standing. The standard has been that students finishing a quarter of the year with an incomplete on their report card were not eligible to participate until the work was made up. If a student passed all courses when the incomplete was made up, the student became immediately eligible again.
Now, the changes for academic eligibility read, “Teachers must have administrative approval to issue an incomplete. Eligibility will be determined after a conference with the student, a parent/guardian and an administrator.”
The Coach’s Activities Handbook also updates the good conduct policy, which hadn’t changed since he was hired six years ago, Niece said.
Part of the current policy that results in a student being declared ineligible to participate in an extracurricular activity reads: “Violation of law or commission of delinquent acts which result in the student being placed on formal or informal probation under the jurisdiction of a probation officer.”
That is changed to: “Commit theft, vandalism or any act that would be a violation of the law and grounds for arrest or citation in the criminal or juvenile court system, excluding minor traffic offenses, regardless of whether a student was cited, arrested, convicted or adjudicated of the act(s).
“A student will be found in violation of the district’s Good Conduct Rule if the violation is observed by a staff member or law enforcement official, the student admits the violation or the violation is supported by substantial evidence provided in a judicial or administrative proceeding.”
Also added to the coaches handbook for the upcoming year:
Volunteer coaches must be approved by the school board each year and each year they must be approved prior to the beginning of the season they will be volunteering. Volunteer coaches may work at any grade level. A volunteer coach receives no stipend but is a person who has been asked to be on staff by the program director.
Volunteer coaches, like any other coach, must have all certification documents on file in the central office prior to coaching.
Head coaches and activity sponsors need to obtain administrative permission for all departure times modifying the student’s instructional day.
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