504.02 - Student Organizations

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