6700.1: Extracurricular School Sponsored Clubs & Activities - Approval Procedures & Criteria

I.          Extracurricular School-Sponsored Clubs and Activities

Extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities are an extension of the selected content curriculum and instructional  strategies of the Millard Education Program. Extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities serve as an extension of the Millard Education Program by providing and promoting opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which supplement the subject matter of specific courses, extend the skills taught in specific courses, reinforce the instruction provided in specific courses, provide career activities and exploration, recognize and promote academic achievement and excellence, provide intramural athletic competition, enhance school support and spirit, or provide for the administration of student government or student body activities.

II.        Approval Procedures and Criteria

A.         Certain extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities are established and recognized as being school-sponsored and an extension of the Millard Education Program and they shall not be required to obtain approval, except for funding, when properly operating under this Rule. These established and recognized extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities include:

                  High School Level:

                       Middle School Level:                     

                        Elementary School Level:

B.              All other presently existing and all other suggested future extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities shall be required to seek and obtain approval in accordance with the following procedures and criteria.

1.         A suggestion form from the District Activities Committee shall be properly and fully completed by the school certificated staff member who suggests the formation of the extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity and who proposes and is qualified to serve as the certificated staff sponsor.  Such suggestion forms will be submitted by certificated staff employed by the District only.

 2.         Such suggestion forms shall be submitted to the school principal or designee.  All suggestion forms which are not properly and fully completed shall not be considered.

3.         The principal or designee shall review the suggestion form and such other information considered to be appropriate and make a written recommendation whether or not to form such a school-sponsored club or activity based on the criteria set forth hereinafter. If the suggestion is accepted by the building principal or designee, the suggestion form will be forwarded with a written recommendation to the District Activities Committee within forty (40) school days after receipt of the suggestion form.

4.         Within eighty (80) school days after receipt of the suggestion form and written recommendation, the District Activities Committee shall meet, review the suggestion form and recommendation of the principal or designee and such other information considered to be appropriate, and make a written decision to approve or deny the formation of such a school-sponsored club or activity based on the criteria set forth below. 

5.         When reviewing any suggestion to form a new extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity, the principal or designee and the District Activities Committee shall evaluate the following considerations and criteria.  Whether the suggested school-sponsored club or activity:

a.   Provides and promotes opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which supplement the subject matter of specific courses, extend the skills taught in specific courses, or reinforce the instruction provided in specific courses.

b.   Provides and promotes opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which involve career activities or career exploration.

c.   Provides and promotes opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which involve career preparation and technical education, such as business education, career guidance and counseling, family and consumer sciences, industrial education, marketing education, health occupations education, or diversified occupations education.

d.   Recognizes and promotes academic achievement and excellence.

e.   Provides problem-solving skills or higher level thinking skills through club competition or club exercises.

f.    Provides hands-on experiences which extend the learning process beyond the classroom or provides opportunities to practice and apply the curriculum or skills taught in specific courses.

g.   Provides and promotes opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which involve intramural athletic competition, team leadership and cooperation, sportsmanship, sports and recreation skills, physical development, or physical education.

h.   Provides and promotes opportunities, activities, experiences, and/or programs which enhance school support and spirit through organized cheering, support the school’s interscholastic athletics and activities programs, or build student morale, student spirit, or positive support for the school and the school’s interscholastic programs.

i.    Provides for the administration of student government or student body or class activities and programs.

j.    Provides for and promotes middle school level exploration of activities, socialization, or citizenship.

k.   Shows evidence of strong student interest and has potential for growth and longevity.

l.    Has adequate funding.  Funding should not be diverted from existing school-sponsored clubs or activities so as to create new ones.

m.  Has adequate facilities available.

n.   Has qualified and competent sponsors available, who are District certificated staff, or selected community volunteers, or paid volunteers.

o.   Duplicates the general purposes of an existing sponsored club or activity, an existing equal access student group, or existing activities or programs which are already available within the District or within the community.

p.   Is appropriate for the knowledge level, intellectual maturity, competence, and age of the students.

q.   Involves exposure to or risks of injury or harm.

r.    Can operate in compliance with federal and state laws and the policies and rules of the District.

s.    Is an appropriate addition to the number and nature of clubs or activities at a school.

6.         No extracurricular school-sponsored clubs or activities shall involve or promote the indoctrination or advocacy of partisan, political, ideological, or religious beliefs.

7.         No extracurricular school-sponsored clubs or activities shall be a secret fraternity or secret organization.

III.       Student Participation

A.        Participation of students in extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities is encouraged, and participation shall be open to and limited to all students who are currently enrolled in the sponsoring school on a voluntary basis as well as Exempt School Students and Nonpublic School Students pursuant to District Rules 6675.1 and 6680.1.  Extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities may establish academic or course enrollment qualifications for participation if such qualifications are necessarily related to the purposes of that extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity.

B.        Students will be limited in participating in activities of a non-school nature during school hours.  Prior to such participation, approval must be granted by the building administrator.

IV.       Governance

All extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities shall be under the exclusive governance and control of school personnel.  Such exclusive governance and control shall include, but shall not be limited to, the formation, naming, structure, operation, financing, and discontinuance of all extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities.  Extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities shall not have any separate or individual existence, status, rights, or authority.

V.        Sponsors

A.        Each extracurricular school-sponsored club and activity must have a sponsor who is a District certificated staff member, or selected community volunteer or paid sponsor, who is qualified by virtue of education, training, experience, or special interest to serve as the sponsor.  The principal or designee shall select the sponsor.  The District certificated staff member who submits a suggestion form may or may not be selected as the sponsor.

B.        Sponsors shall be required to: develop materials, activities, and a budget; promote membership and participation; communicate with the principal or designee, staff, students, and parents; schedule meeting dates and locations; plan meaningful experiences; supervise students during activities; evaluate and make recommendations; and submit a year-end report to the principal or designee.

C.        An assignment as a sponsor is an annual appointment.  One (1) activity stipend may be issued to a District certificated staff member for extracurricular school-sponsored clubs or activities, in accordance with budgeting procedures, that have between ten (10) and forty-five (45) active participants.  When unanticipated participation exceeds forty-five (45) active participants, an additional activity stipend may be issued for an additional sponsor for the current school year only upon approval by the Superintendent or designee.  Any such additional stipends will terminate at the end of the current school year. Under certain circumstances which sometimes exist with different types of extracurricular school-sponsored clubs or activities, the individual schools may be excluded from these number restrictions with the approval of the Superintendent or designee.  With the approval of the principal or designee, two (2) or more District certificated staff members may be allowed to split an activity stipend for an extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity.

VI.       Review and Revocation

A.        The principal or designee shall review the activities and purposes of extracurricular school-sponsored clubs and activities on a regular basis and the principal or designee may, on their own initiative or upon any complaint or request by students, certificated staff, or parents, recommend to the District Activities Committee that recognition of any extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity be revoked.  Recommendations for revocation shall be forwarded to and processed by the District Activities Committee in the manner provided above for applications.

B.        The District Activities Committee may on its own initiative, review and revoke the recognition of any extracurricular school-sponsored club or activity.