The student council provides for student activities, serves as training experience for both leaders and followers, promotes the common good, gives students a share in the management of the school, develops high ideals of personal conduct, acts as a clearing house for student activities, seeks to interest students in school affairs and helps solve problems that may arise.  Members of the council are student representatives who have direct access to the school administration.

The principal, in conjunction with the students and licensed personnel, shall set forth the guidelines for the student government’s elections, operations, and other elements of the government.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §279.8 (1991).

Cross Reference:  502     Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                       504     Student Activities
                                       505     Student Scholastic Achievement
                                       506     Student Records

Approved:  4-13-92              
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:             

 

Secondary school student-initiated, noncurriculum-related groups, upon receiving permission from the principal, may use school facilities for group meetings during non-instructional time.

Non-instructional time shall mean any time before the first period in the day and after the last period of the day in which any student attends class.  Meetings shall not interfere with the orderly conduct of the educational program or other school district operations.  It shall be within the discretion of the building principal to determine whether the meetings will interfere with the orderly conduct of the educational program or other school district operations.  Activities relating to and part of the educational program shall have priority over the activities of any other organization.

It shall also be the responsibility of the principal to determine whether a student group is curriculum-related.  The following two questions will be answered affirmatively if the group is curriculum-related:

• Does the school usually sponsor an activity dealing with this subject matter?
• Does the school require or directly encourage student participation in such a group in connection with the curriculum course work?

Only students may attend and participate in meetings of noncurriculum-related groups.  Such attendance shall be strictly voluntary and student-initiated.  As a means of determining whether a student’s attendance is voluntary, the principal may require parental consent for the student to attend the meetings.

Student-initiated, noncurriculum-related groups will not use the school name, school mascot name, school district name, or any name or emblem that might imply school district sponsorship.  Such groups will be afforded equal access to methods of advertisement of their meetings.  The use of school equipment will be subject to the discretion of the principal.

School district personnel will be assigned to monitor approved meetings.  School district personnel shall not in any way participate in the meeting or assist in planning, criticizing or encouraging attendance.  Non-school persons cannot direct, conduct, control, or regularly attend activities or meetings of these noncurriculum-related, student-initiated groups.

Secondary school curriculum-related student organizations may use the school facilities for meetings and other purposes before, after and during the instructional school day.

It shall be the responsibility of the administration to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.  They shall include guidelines for determining whether the meeting will interfere with the orderly conduct of the educational program or other school district operations.  The administrative regulations shall also provide additional guidelines for determining whether a student group is curriculum-related.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Westside Community Schools v Mergens, 110 S.Ct. 2356, (1990).
                                       Bender v Williamsport Area Community School District, 741 F.2d 538
                                       (3d cir. 1984), vacated and remanded on other grounds, 106 S.Ct. 1326 (1986).
                                       20 U.S.C.A. §§4071 et seq. (1989).
                                       Iowa Code §§287.1 - .3, 297.9 (1989).

Cross Reference:  502    Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                       504    Student Activities

Approved:  4-13-92              
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:  3-11-96

 

Students may author a publication as part of the curriculum under the supervision of a licensed employee and the principal.

As a school-sponsored activity, the viewpoints of student publications may be attributed to the school.  Therefore, student publications must be responsible.  In the judgment of the administration, the publication shall not encourage the breaking of laws, cause defamation of persons, or contain obscenity.  Further, the publications must be appropriate to assure that the students learn and meet the goals of the activity and that the potential audience is not exposed to material that may be inappropriate for their level of maturity.

Prior to final printing and distribution, the publication must be reviewed by the student editors and the faculty advisor.  Based on the review of the student editors and/or the faculty advisor, articles may be required to be rewritten or removed.  Failure to allow review by the student editors and faculty advisor, prior to its final printing and distribution, is grounds for denying distribution of the publication.

The principal shall have the authority to designate the time, place and manner of distribution of school-sponsored and nonschool-sponsored student publications.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Hazelwood School District v Kuhlmeier, 108 S.Ct. 562 (1988).
                                      Iowa Code §280.1 (1991).

Cross Reference:  502    Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                      504    Student Activities

Approved:  4-13-92              
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:             

 

Students, as part of the educational program, may participate in contests or other public and private events approved by the administration that will be of benefit to the student and the educational program.  Performance at such events is a privilege.

Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be subject to disciplinary measures.  Students, who perform at such events, serve as ambassadors of the school district and must conduct themselves in the same manner as required in the regular school day.

Students will be allowed to perform in these events only with proper permission and supervision and when the events do not disrupt the educational program or other school district operations.  The events must be approved by the administration, unless it involves unusual travel and expense, in which case the board will take action.

It shall be the responsibility of the administration to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.  In developing the administrative regulations, these guidelines should be followed:

• Performances by student groups below the senior high school level should be allowed only on a very limited basis;
• All groups of students should have an opportunity to participate; and
• Extensive travel by one (1) group of students as a result of the requests should be discouraged.

It shall be within the discretion of the administration to determine whether the event will benefit the educational program and the participating students.  Contests or other performances by students unapproved by the administration will be the responsibility of the parent and the student.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Hazelwood School District v Kuhlmeier, 108 S.Ct. 562 (1988).
                                      Iowa Code §§280.13-.14 (1991).
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 12.6.

Cross Reference:  502     Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                      504     Student Activities
                                      1005   Community Activities Involving Students

Approved:  4-13-92              
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:  3-11-96

 

Students may raise funds for school-sponsored events with permission of the principal.  Fund raising by students for events other than school-sponsored organizations is allowed.  Collection boxes for nonschool-sponsored organizations, however, must have prior approval from the building principal before being placed on school property.

It shall be the responsibility of the administration to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §280.14 (1991).

Cross Reference:  502    Student Rights and Responsibilities
                                      503    Student Discipline
                                      504    Student Activities

Approved:  4-13-92              
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:  3-11-96

 

Revenue raised by students or from student activities shall be deposited and accounted for in the student activities fund.  This revenue is the property of and shall be under the financial control of the board.  Students may use this revenue for purposes approved by the building principal.

Whether such revenue is collected from student contributions, club dues, and special activities or result from admissions to special events or from other fund-raising activities, all funds will be under the jurisdiction of the board and under the specific control of the building principal.  They will be deposited in a designated depository and will be disbursed and accounted for in accordance with instructions issued by the superintendent.

It shall be the responsibility of the bookkeeper to keep student activity accounts up-to-date and completed.

Any unencumbered class or activity account balances will automatically revert to the activity fund, lined item classified high school activity, when a class graduates or an activity is discontinued.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§11:23; 279.8 (1997)

Cross Reference:  504    Student Activities
                                      701    Financial Accounting System

Approved:  12-13-99            
Reviewed:  12-10-18            
Revised:  10-14-02