Good Conduct Policy

Ar-We-Va Good Conduct Policy

The Board of Directors of the Ar-We-Va Community School District offers a variety of voluntary activities designed to enhance the classroom education of its students.  Students who participate in extracurricular activities serve as ambassadors of the school throughout the calendar year, whether away from or at school.  Students who wish to exercise the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities must conduct themselves in accordance with board policy and must refrain from activities that are illegal, immoral, unhealthy, or highly inappropriate.  Participation in these activities is a privilege, conditioned upon meeting the eligibility criteria established by the board, administration, and individual activity coaches and sponsors.  The activities director shall keep records of violations of the Good Conduct Rule.

A student whose conduct, which is outlined in this policy, is such as to make him/her unworthy to represent the ideals, principles, and standards of his/her school may be ruled ineligible to participate in extracurricular athletics, activities, contests, and performances.  The determination of ineligibility and the period of ineligibility are the responsibility of the appropriately delegated administrator(s).  The delegated administrator(s) have been and are given some reasonable discretion and latitude in determining the punishment for the violation of this policy, considering the circumstances of the particular violation, the past record of violation(s) by the student, and the honesty of the student in reporting the facts of the violation.

The following activities are covered by the board’s policy and these rules:

Athletics, instrumental and vocal music, drama productions, speech contests, all co-curricular clubs (ex:. newspaper, yearbook, spirit club), Dance Team, cheerleading and any other activity where the student represents the district outside the classroom.  All honorary and elected offices (ex:.Homecoming Royalty, Prom King/Queen, class officers, and student government),  will also be subject to Good Conduct Policy regulations.

Academic Eligibility

To be eligible for an activity, students participating must:

• Be enrolled full-time in school

• Have less than two Failing or Incomplete Grades

• Follow IHSAA and IGHSAU minimum academic standards and eligibility standards

• Have met all transfer requirements, if the student is a transfer student, or be eligible under state law and regulations if the student is an open enrollment student.

• Special education students or students covered by a Section 504 plan shall not be denied eligibility on the basis of scholarship if the student is making adequate progress, as determined by the staffing team, towards the goals and objectives on the student’s IEP or accommodation plan.

Good Conduct Rule

To retain eligibility for participation in Ar-We-Va High School extracurricular activities, students must conduct themselves as good citizens both in and out of school at all times.  Students who represent the school in an activity are expected to serve as good role models to other students and to the members for the community.

Once accused of breaking the good conduct rule, the student shall be confronted in a hearing with the allegation, the basis of the allegation, and given an opportunity to tell the student’s side.  After the hearing, any student who is found to have violated the district’s Good Conduct Rule will be deemed ineligible for a period of time.  A student may lose eligibility under the Good Conduct Rule for any of the following behaviors:

• possession, use, or purchase of tobacco products, regardless of the student’s age;

• possession, use, or purchase of alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine (“use” includes having the odor of alcohol on one’s breath)

• being in a car or in attendance at a function or party where alcohol or other drugs are being consumed illegally by minors and failing to leave despite having a reasonable opportunity in which to do so

• possession, use, purchase, or attempted sale/purchase of illegal drugs, or the unauthorized possession, use, purchase, or attempted sale/purchase of otherwise lawful drugs:

• engaging in any act that would be grounds for arrest or citation in the criminal or juvenile court system (excluding minor offenses such as traffic or hunting/fishing, violations), regardless of whether the student was cited, arrested, convicted, or adjudicated for the act(s);

• exceedingly inappropriate or offensive conduct such as assaulting staff or students, gross insubordination (talking back or refusing to cooperate with authorities), serious hazing or harassment of others. NOTE:  This could include group conduct!

Transfer Students

If a student transfers in from another Iowa school or school district and the student had not yet completed a period of ineligibility for a violation of a Good Conduct Rule in the previous school, the student shall be ineligible if the administration determines that there is a general knowledge in our school district of the fact of the student’s misconduct or violation in the previous district.

Penalties

Any student who has been charged by law enforcement, seen by school employee, has admitted to violating, or has been found guilty of a violation of the Good Conduct Rule by school administration during the school year or summer, is subject to a loss of eligibility as follows:

First Violation Within the Student’s Sixth Grade thru Twelfth Grade Career

Six weeks with a minimum of 6 events / performances

    1/3 of penalty will be deleted if student self reports to building principal within 24 hours of violation.

Second Violation Within the Student’s Sixth Grade thru Twelfth Grade Career

Twelve weeks with a minimum of 12 events / performances

Third Violation Within the Student’s Sixth Grade thru Twelfth Grade Career  

One Calendar Year

Students who are elected or receive honorary offices will have their membership or office revoked for one calendar year from the time of the violation of the Good Conduct Policy.  Students who violate the Good Conduct Policy will not be eligible to receive an honorary or elected office until the following school year.  Students who are removed will have to reapply for the office or membership.

The period of ineligibility attaches immediately upon a finding of a violation if the student is currently engaged in an extracurricular activity and, if not, or if not completed during the current activity, is begun or carried over to the time the student seeks to go out for the next activity or contest.  However, if the period of time between a violation and an activity is twelve calendar months or more, the student shall not serve an ineligibility period for the violation.  An ineligible student shall attend all practices or rehearsals but may not “suit up” nor perform / participate.  If a student drops out of an activity prior to completion of the period of ineligibility, the penalty or remainder of the penalty will attach when the student next seeks to go out for an activity, subject to the12 month limitation above.

Academic Consequences

Unless the student violated the Good Conduct Rule while on school grounds or at school activity or event off school grounds, there will be no academic consequences (e.g., detention, suspension from school) for the violation.

Investigation and Appeals

1. Suspension

Hearing  (Building Principal) The student and/or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) shall be advised that there will be an investigation of a possible violation of the Good Conduct Policy by the student.  The student and/or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) shall be invited to attend a conference with the building Principal to advise the student of his/her alleged violation of the Good Conduct Policy, the apparent facts then available which support a finding of violation and to allow the student an opportunity to respond to the allegations.  The building Principal shall investigate all reports from any persons concerning rule violations or improper conduct on the part of any participating student.  The building Principal shall then make a finding of whether or not acts or conduct of such student violated any school rule or policy, and if so, the student shall be suspended and informed of the length of suspension and the procedure for appeal within 2 school days.  An aggrieved student may file a written appeal with the building Principal within 2 school days, however during the appeal process the student will not be allowed to participate.

2. Superintendent At the request of any aggrieved student, the Superintendent will review the suspension within 3 school days for the purposes of reviewing the suspension and based on all available evidence the Superintendent may remove the suspension, increase or decrease the period of suspension, or affirm the suspension of the building Principal.  

The decision of the Superintendent will be released to the student within 3 school days.

4.  An aggrieved student may appeal the decision of the Superintendent to the student’s respective Board of Education.  The aggrieved student must make a written appeal and submit such document to the Board Secretary within 2 days of the Superintendent’s decision.  At the time the student must have them self placed on the Board Meeting Agenda.  The Board of Education shall make their decision at the next regularly scheduled or special Board of Education Meeting and inform the aggrieved student.

5.  The decision of the Board of Education may be appealed to the Iowa Department of Education and from their decision, to the District Court, as provided by law.