4.56—EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Issued: 6/21/10
Revised: 6/20/11
Revised: 7/19/13
Revised: 6/09/14
Each school in the District will have its schedule of interscholastic activities, and information concerning
sign-up, tryout, and participation deadlines available in the office of the principal.
DEFINITION AND GUIDELINES
Extracurricular activities are defined as: Any school sponsored program where students from one or more
schools meet, work, perform, practice under supervision outside of regular class time, or are competing
for the purpose of receiving an award, rating, recognition, criticism or qualification for additional
competition. Examples include, but are not limited to, interscholastic athletics, cheerleading, band, choral,
math, or science competitions, field trips and club activities. The Board of Education realizes that learning
is not exclusive to the classroom and endorses the provision of appropriate learning experiences outside
the regular classroom as an integral part of the instructional program. However, the Board believes that a
student’s participation in extracurricular activities cannot come at the expense of his/her classroom
academic achievement. Interruptions of instructional time in the classroom are to be minimal. All students
are eligible for extracurricular activities unless specifically denied eligibility on the basis of criteria outlined
in this policy.
The Board of Education believes the aim of education is the development of the individual student to his
fullest potential. The education process must provide the opportunities necessary to develop the talents
and skills each student possesses to the maximum extent possible. As interscholastic and extracurricular
activities are intended to be supplemental rather that a substitute for the basic educational programs,
such activities shall be guided by at least the following:
1. Shall be under the direction and control of the local school principal, the superintendent, and as
appropriate, the Board of Education.
2. Shall be of educational value to the participants.
3. Shall not interfere with the regular classroom instruction, except under extenuating
circumstances. Any interruption or absences from school time shall be kept to a minimum.
4. Students participating in any activities scheduled either after regular school hours or away from
the school campus shall have written parental permission prior to any participation.
5. No activity shall be scheduled which requires students to be absent from school for more than
three (3) consecutive days. Special programs (i.e. national conventions, Close Up, etc.) must
have the explicit approval of the principal and other levels of administrational approval which
he/she deems necessary.
6. All students shall be required to be passing academic classes as defined in ADE rules and
regulations of Competitive Interscholastic Standards.
7. In order to participate in school related extracurricular and non-instructional programs, students
are required to adhere to the rules set by the program standard in order to be an active
participant and remain a member of the program.
8. Insofar as possible, activity events involving two or more schools should be scheduled on
weekend dates or holidays or after 3:30 p.m. on school days, in accordance with AAA
recommendations.
9. Events which are scheduled on school days prior to 3:30 p.m. shall require AAA sanction and
more restrictive guidelines for approval of these events shall be required.
10. All students who participate in any athletic program sponsored by Ashdown School District are
required to satisfactorily complete any annual physical examination prior to any participation,
including practices. Evidence of having complied with this policy must be presented in writing to
the faculty member supervising the program before any student participates in the program.
11. A student may lose his/her eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities when, in the opinion
of the school’s administration, the student’s participation in such an activity may adversely
jeopardize his/her academic achievement. Students may also be denied permission to participate
in extracurricular activities as a consequence of disciplinary action taken by the administration for
inappropriate behavior.
12. Students with excessive absences from school may also be denied permission to participate in
extracurricular activities. (The principal and sponsor must concur whether a student may or may
not participate when excessive days have been missed.)
13. In order to participate in an extracurricular activity scheduled after school or on Saturday, the
student must attend at least ½ of that school day or if on Saturday, attend ½ of the previous
school day.
State Assessments: Any student who refuses to sit for a State assessment or attempts to boycott a
State assessment by failing to put forth a good faith effort on the assessment as determined by the
assessment administrator/proctor, or whose parents do not send their student to school on the dates the
assessments are administered or scheduled as make-up days shall not be permitted to participate in any
extracurricular activity. The student shall remain ineligible to participate until the student takes the same
or a following state mandated assessment, as applicable, or completes the required remediation for the
assessment the student failed to put forth a good faith effort on. The principal or designee may wave this
paragraph's provisions when the student’s failure was due to exceptional or extraordinary circumstances.
Statement from the Board of Education: If a situation arises in any extracurricular activity that the
board judges to have a severe negative effect upon the student or public image of the Ashdown School
System, the board will exercise its authority after proper appeal channels are followed to cancel or
discontinue that activity.
Organizations NOT Governed by AAA: Any student participating in extra-curricular or club activities,
not already governed under Arkansas Activity Association rules and regulations must have a 2.0 grade
point average.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN AAA-SANCTIONED ACTIVITIES:
Junior High: A student promoted from the sixth to the seventh grade automatically meets scholarship
requirements. A student promoted from the seventh to the eighth grade automatically meets scholarship
requirements for the first semester. The second semester eighth-grade student meets the scholarship
requirements for junior high if he/she has successfully passed four (4) academic courses the previous
semester, three (3) of which shall be in the core curriculum areas specified by the Arkansas Department
of Education’s Standards Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools.
The first semester ninth-grade student meets the scholarship requirements for junior high if he/she has
successfully passed four (4) academic courses the previous semester, three (3) of which shall be in the
core curriculum areas specified by the ADE’s Standards of Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools.
The second semester ninth-grade student meets the scholarship requirements for junior high if he/she
has successfully passed (4) academic courses the previous semester which count toward his/her
graduation requirements.
Ninth-grade students must meet the requirements of the senior high scholarship rule by the end of the
second semester in the ninth grade in order to be eligible to participate the fall semester of their tenthgrade year.
Senior High: In order to remain eligible for competitive interscholastic activity, a student must have
passed (4) academic courses the previous semester and either:
a) Have earned a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.0 from all academic courses the previous
semester; or
b) If the student has passed four (4) academic courses the previous semester but does not have a
2.0 GPA, the student must be enrolled and successfully participating in a Supplemental
Instruction Program to maintain his/her competitive interscholastic extracurricular eligibility. (For
more information about “SIP”, contact the high school principal or the athletic director.)
Students With An Individual Education Plan: In order to be considered eligible to participate in
competitive interscholastic activities, students with disabilities must pass at least four (4) courses per
semester as required by their individual education plan (IEP).
ARKANSAS ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
In addition to the foregoing rules, the district shall abide by the rules and regulations of the Arkansas
Activities Association (AAA) governing interscholastic activities. AAA provides catastrophic insurance
coverage for students participating in AAA governed extracurricular activities who are enrolled in school.
As a matter of District policy, no student may participate in a AAA governed extracurricular activity unless
he or she is enrolled in a district school, to ensure all students are eligible for AAA catastrophic
insurance.
CONFLICTS—(BAND, ATHLETICS, CHEERLEADING, ETC.):
It is important that all programs cooperate to ensure the least amount of conflict. The biggest areas of
concern involving conflict are marching band and football, girl’s athletics and band, and girl’s athletics and
cheerleading. Other areas of concern are spring sports (baseball/track) and band. Students in grades 7
and 8 will be encouraged to explore multiple extracurricular areas of interest; however, in grade 9
students will have to make some choices concerning the activities they participate in.
These rules affect these areas of conflict:
1. Football and marching band – A student must choose between the two activities.
2. Girls’ athletics and band – A student must choose between the two activities.
3. Girls’ athletics and cheerleading – A student may participate in both activities but must be aware
of problems of scheduling and credits for graduation.
4. Boys’ spring sports and band – The student may participate in spring sports and band. But, if
there is a conflict where both activities have scheduled events, the student chooses which event
to participate in.
Neither the coach nor the band director can pressure the student to choose their activity over the other
activity nor can the student be punished for the choice they made.
CLUB/CLASS OFFICER-GENERAL REGULATIONS
Ashdown High School
Certain regulations concerning the holding of an office or representatives in school organizations must be
observed. They are as follows:
1. A student may hold no more than two offices during a semester and only one of these may be the
presidency.
2. No student may be elected to office without a cumulative 2.00 GPA and must maintain a
cumulative 2.00 GPA or he/she will vacate the office.
3. If a student holding an office fails to pass work in any subject during any marking period, his/her
office shall become vacant. Certain organizations may require higher grade point averages or
additional criteria.
Class Officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer
 Must have and must maintain a 2.5 GPA.
 Must have four positive teacher recommendations.
 Must have a good citizenship record and good class attendance.
 Must have attended the Ashdown Public Schools the previous semester.
 Must give a 3-5 minute campaign speech.
 Must be willing to attend all meetings and work on class projects.
Class Officers (general guidelines)
An officer sent to ISS or OSS
A. 1st offense - the sponsors will meet with officer and decide if reason for being placed in ISS or
OSS is severe enough for immediate dismissal or if a second chance should be given officer.
B. 2nd offense – will result in automatic dismissal with no exceptions.
If an officer does not attend meetings or work on class projects, he is subject to dismissal after one
warning from sponsors.
Student Council (qualifications for members and officers – criteria)
1. Student representatives shall possess and maintain a cumulative (2.0) scholastic average,
satisfactory citizenship record and shall have been enrolled in Ashdown High School for one
semester prior to election.
2. Officers must possess a cumulative (3.0) scholastic average, a satisfactory citizenship record and
shall have been enrolled in Ashdown High School for one year prior to election. The president
must be a senior. Student Council officers cannot be class officers.
3. All representatives should possess the major qualities of leadership, and, in the democratic spirit,
be willing to work with and for the people in the best interests of the school as a whole.
Representatives may not be class officers.
4. If an officer does not attend meetings or work on projects, he/she is subject to dismissal after one
warning from sponsor.
5. Student council representatives from each grade level will be limited to three.
Ashdown Jr. High School Student Council Rules: (qualifications for members and officers – criteria)
1. Student representatives shall possess and maintain a cumulative (2.0) scholastic average,
satisfactory citizenship record and shall have been enrolled in Ashdown High School for one
semester prior to election.
2. Officers must possess a cumulative (3.0) scholastic average and a satisfactory citizenship record.
3. All representatives should possess the major qualities of leadership, and, in the democratic spirit,
be willing to work with and for the people in the best interests of the school as a whole.
Representatives may not be class officers.
4. If an officer does not attend meetings or work on projects, he/she is subject to dismissal after one
warning from sponsor.
5. Student council representatives from each grade level will be limited to three.
There is a 3 strike rule and you are out clause. If a student should receive 3 written teacher complaints
about bad behavior or office referrals, you will be automatically dismissed from Student Council. Student
Council members should be excellent role models academically and behaviorally in the school.
Extracurricular Activity Behavior Guidelines: Students will be required to sit in the bleachers on the
home side at all athletic or other extra-curricular activities and will follow the instructions of school officials
at these events. Any student who misbehaves at an activity or event to the extent the student is asked to
leave, may not be allowed to attend any extracurricular activity or event for the remainder of the year.
Legal References:
State Board of Education Standards for Accreditation 10.05 and 10.06
Arkansas Activities Association Handbook
Cross References:
4.55—STUDENT PROMOTION AND RETENTION
4.56.1—EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - ELEMENTARY