The Board of Education recognizes that extracurricular and co-curricular activities enrich the educational and social development of students and enhance students’ feelings of connectedness with the schools. The Humboldt County Office of Education shall encourage and support student participation in extra/co-curricular activities without compromising the integrity and purpose of the educational program.
No extra/co-curricular program or activity shall be provided or conducted separately, and no student’s participation in extra/co-curricular activities shall be required or refused on the basis of any actual or perceived characteristic listed as a prohibited category of discrimination in state or federal law including the student’s gender, gender identity or expression, or genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, ethnic group identification, race, ancestry, national origin, religion, color, age, marital or parental status, or mental or physical disability. Requirements for participation in extra/co-curricular activities shall be limited to those that are essential to the success of the activity.
Any complaint alleging unlawful discrimination in the extra/co-curricular programs or activities shall be filed in accordance with BP/AR 1312.4—Uniform Complaint Procedures.
Unless specifically authorized by law, students shall not be charged any fees in order to participate in extra/co-curricular activities related to the educational program, including materials or equipment related to the activity.
Extracurricular activities are those programs that have all of the following characteristics.
- The program is supervised or financed by the Office of Education.
- Students participating in the program represent the Office of Education.
- Students exercise some degree of freedom in either the selection, planning or control of the program.
- The program includes both preparation for performance and performance before an audience of spectators.
Extracurricular activities are not part of the regular school curriculum, are not graded, do not offer credit, and do not take place during classroom time.
Co-curricular activities are programs that may be associated with the curriculum in a regular classroom and may take place during classroom time.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to encourage and promote educational excellence, students in grades 7-12 who participate in extracurricular/co-curricular activities shall demonstrate satisfactory minimum progress, as defined by Education Code 35160.5, in meeting the requirements for graduation by undertaking the prescribed course of study and meeting the standards of proficiency established by the Board of Education.
Any decision regarding the eligibility of any child in foster care or a child of an active duty military family for extracurricular/co-curricular activities shall be made by the Superintendent or designee in accordance with Education Code 48850 and 49701.
The Superintendent or designee may revoke a student’s eligibility for participation in extracurricular and co-curricular activities when the student’s poor citizenship is serious enough to warrant loss of this privilege.
A program that has as its primary goal the improvement of academic or educational achievements of students is not subject to these eligibility requirements.
The Superintendent or designee may determine that extracurricular/co-curricular activities or programs are offered primarily for the students’ academic or educational achievement and, therefore, not subject to the eligibility requirements of this policy.
Supervision
Extracurricular/Co-curricular activities shall be supervised by County Office of Education employees whenever they are conducted under the name of the County Office of Education.
Annual Review
The Board shall review this policy annually.
Legal Reference
EDUCATION CODE
- 35145 Public meetings
- 35160.5 District policy rules and regulations; requirements; matters subject to regulation
- 35179 Interscholastic athletics; associations or consortia
- 35181 Students’ responsibilities
- 48850 Participation of foster youth in extracurricular activities and interscholastic sports
- 48930-48938 Student Organizations
- 49024 Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate
- 49700-49704 Education of children of military families
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
- Article 9, Section 5 Common school system
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
- 350 Fees not permitted
- 4900-4965 Nondiscrimination in elementary and secondary education programs receiving state financial assist.
- 5531 Supervision of extracurricular activities of pupils
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
- 2000h-2-2000h-6 Title IX, 1972 Education Act Amendment