FILE:  IDE

Cf:  IDFA

 

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 

 

The DeSoto Parish School Board acknowledges the need for a well-balanced and effective student activity program to supplement the academic curriculum.  Schools are encouraged to provide ample opportunities for its students to participate in meaningful activities which are considered valuable for the overall development of the student.

 

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 

Co-curricular activities are  those activities that are relevant, supportive, that are an integral part of the program of studies in which the student is enrolled, and that are under the supervision and/or coordination of the school instructional staff.  Principals and sponsors shall carefully monitor all such scheduled co-curricular activities, and shall limit regular instructional time interruptions as much as possible.

 

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 

Extracurricular activities are those activities which are not directly related to the program of studies, which are under the supervision and/or coordination of the school instructional staff, and which are considered valuable for the overall development of the student.

 

Interruption of instructional time shall be limited as much as possible, and in no case shall more than nine (9) hours per year of regularly scheduled instructional time be used for extracurricular activities.  Care should be exercised in scheduling such interruptions so that classes will not be disproportionately affected.

 

All athletic contests shall be scheduled after school hours.  When possible, no instructional time should be missed by student athletes when traveling to athletic events.  If teams are allowed to be released from school early to attend these events, release time should be in keeping with the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s (LHSAA) Regular Season Release Time Plan.

 

Notwithstanding any policy, rule, or regulation adopted by the School Board to the contrary, no student otherwise eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity, including interscholastic athletics, shall be limited in the number of such activities in which the student may participate in a school year.

 

ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

 

  1. Students must meet all eligibility requirements for the particular club, organization, or activity in order to be allowed to participate.

  2. Students should not be allowed to miss any class in which they are presently failing in order to participate in an activity.

  3. Students will not be allowed to participate in any athletic event or other school activity while they are under suspension from school.

  4. Students must be in attendance at school during the day in order to participate in an event scheduled that night.

  5. When students who miss school for co-curricular or extracurricular activities, they must make up all classwork missed as soon as possible in keeping with individual school policies and in a manner that would be required of any other student in order to receive credit.

  6. Students who miss school for an approved co-curricular or extracurricular activity will not be counted as absent from the classes missed.

  7. All high school students with less than eighteen (18) units toward graduation must be enrolled in at least six (6) subjects on a seven period schedule or at least three (3) subjects on a 4 x 4 schedule and must pass at least six (6) subjects on a seven period schedule or three (3) subjects on a 4 x 4 schedule which count toward graduation and earn a grade point average of 1.5 or better in all subjects pursued during the semester prior to participation.

    Students participating in Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) athletics shall meet the academic requirements of the LHSAA.

    Middle school students (grades 6, 7 and 8) must pass at least three-fourths of the graded academic courses taken during the previous school year with at least a 1.5 grade point average in order to be eligible for the Fall semester.  For a student to be eligible for the Spring semester he/she must pass at least three-fourths of the graded academic courses taken during the Fall semester of that school year with at least a 1.5 grade point average.

  8. No student otherwise eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity shall be limited in the number of such activities in which the student may participate during the school year.

 

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENT PARTICIPATION

 

All non-academic and extracurricular services and activities shall be offered to all exceptional students in a manner that allows equal opportunity to participate in services and activities.

 

Approved:  May, 2004 

Revised:  May, 2013

Revised:  November 7, 2013

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:176

Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education

Official Handbook, Louisiana High School Athletic Association

Board minutes, 11-7-13

 

DeSoto Parish School Board