The student government provides for student activities, serves as a training experience for student leaders, promotes the common good, gives students a share in the management of the school, develops high ideals of personal conduct, acts as a clearinghouse for student activities, seeks to interest students in school district affairs and helps solve problems that may arise. Members of the government are student representatives who have direct access to the administration.
The principal, in conjunction with the students and licensed employees, shall set forth the guidelines for the student government's elections, operations, and other elements of the government.
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised March 13, 2017
Student-initiated, noncurriculum-related groups and student curriculum-related groups, upon receiving permission from the principal, may use school facilities for group meetings during non-instructional time.
Non-instructional time shall mean any time before the first period of the day and after the last period of the day in which any student attends class. Meetings shall not interfere with the orderly conduct of the education program or other school district operations. It shall be within the discretion of the principal to determine whether the meetings will interfere with the orderly conduct of the education program or other school district operations. Activities relating to and part of the education program shall have priority over the activities of another organization.
Curriculum-Related Organizations
It shall also be the responsibility of the principal to determine whether a student group is curriculum-related. One or more of the following questions will be answered affirmatively if the group is curriculum-related:
• Is the subject matter of the group actually taught in a regularly offered course?
• Will the subject matter of the group soon be taught in regularly offered course?
• Does the subject matter of the group concern the body of courses as a whole?
• Is participation in the group required for a particular course?
• Does participation in the group result in academic credit?
Curriculum-related student organizations may use the school district facilities for meetings and other purposes before and after the instructional school day. Employees shall be assigned to monitor approved meetings and may interact with curriculum-related organizations.
Noncurriculum-Related Organizations
Student-initiated, noncurriculum-related organizations shall be provided access to meeting space and school district facilities. Only students may attend and participate in meetings of noncurriculum-related groups. Such attendance shall be strictly voluntary and student-initiated. As a means of determining whether a student's attendance is voluntary, the principal may require parental consent for the student to attend the meetings. Employees will be assigned to monitor approved meetings. Employees shall not participate in the meeting or assist in planning, criticizing, or encouraging attendance. Only students may be involved in and attend the noncurriculum group's meetings.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.
Legal Reference: Westside Community Board of Education v Mergens, 496 U.S. 226 (1990).
Bender v. Williamsport Area Community School District, 741 F.2d 538 (3d Cir. 1984), vacated and remanded on other grounds, 475 U.S. 534 (1986).
20 U.S.C. §§ 4071-4074 (1994).
Iowa Code §§ 287.1-.3; 297.9 (2005).
Cross Reference: 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities, 504 Student Activities
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised February 13, 2017
Students may produce official school publications as part of the curriculum under the supervision of a faculty advisor and the principal. Official school publications include material produced in the journalism, newspaper, yearbook, computer, or writing classes and distributed to the student body either free or for a fee.
Any expression made by students, including student expression in official school publications, is not an expression of official school policy. The school district, the board, and the employees or officials are not liable in any civil or criminal action for any student expression made or published by students unless the employees or officials have interfered with or altered the content of the student speech or expression. The liability, if any, is only to the extent of the interference or alteration of the speech or expression.
Official school publications are free from prior restraint by employees or officials except as provided by law. A faculty advisor shall supervise student writers to maintain professional standards of English and journalism and to comply with the law including, but not limited to, the restrictions against unlawful speech. The production of official school publications shall be guided by the law and by the ethical standards adopted by professional associations or societies of journalism.
Persons, other than students, who believe they have been aggrieved by student expression in a student-produced official school publication shall follow the grievance procedure outlined in board policy 214.1. Students who believe their freedom of expression in a student-produced official school publication has been restricted shall follow the grievance procedure outlined in board policy 502.6.
The superintendent shall be responsible for developing a student publications code. This code shall include, but not be limited to, reasonable rules including time, place, and manner of restrictions. The superintendent shall also be responsible for distributing this policy and the student publications code to the students and their parents.
Legal Reference: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).
Bystrom v. Fridley High School, 822 F.2d 747 (8th Cir. 1987).
Iowa Code § 280.22 (2005).
Cross Reference: 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities, 504 Student Activities
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised June 11, 2012
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS CODE
A. Official school publications defined.
An "official school publication" is material produced by students in the journalism, newspaper, yearbook, Computer, or writing classes and distributed to students either free or for a fee.
B. Expression in an official school publication.
• No student shall express, publish or distribute in an official school publication material which is:
a. obscene;
b. libelous;
c. slanderous; or
d. encourages students to:
1) commit unlawful acts;
2) violate school rules;
3) cause the material and substantial disruption of the orderly and efficient operation of the school or school activity;
4) disrupt or interfere with the education program;
5) interrupt the maintenance of a disciplined atmosphere; or
6) infringe on the rights of others.
• The official school publication shall be produced under the supervision of a faculty advisor.
C. Responsibilities of students.
• Students writing or editing official school publications shall assign and edit the news, editorial and feature contents of the official school publications subject to the limitations of the student publications code and the law.
• Students shall strive to achieve professional standards of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, and thoroughness in each and every aspect of official school publications.
• Students shall strive to achieve professional standards of grammar, usage, punctuation and spelling for clarity and accuracy of official school publications.
D. Responsibilities of faculty advisors.
Faculty advisors shall supervise student writers to maintain professional standards of English and journalism and to comply with the law including, but not limited to, the restrictions against unlawful speech.
E. Liability
Student expression in an official school publication shall not be deemed to be an expression of the school district. The school district, the board, and the employees or officials are not liable in any civil or criminal action for any student expression made or published by students unless the employees or officials have interfered with or altered the content of the student expression. The liability, if any, is only to the extent of interference or alteration of the speech or expression.
F. Appeal procedure.
Students who believe they have been unreasonably restricted in their exercise of expression in an official student publication shall seek review of the decision through the student grievance procedure, under board policy 502.6.
Persons who believe they have been aggrieved by student-produced official student publication shall file their complaint through the citizen grievance procedure, under board policy 214.1.
G. Time, place and manner of restrictions on official school publications.
Official student publications may be distributed in a reasonable manner on or off school premises.
Distribution in a reasonable manner shall not encourage students to:
a. commit unlawful acts;
b. violate school rules;
c. cause the material and substantial disruption of the orderly and efficient operation of the school district or school activity;
d. disrupt or interfere with the education program;
e. interrupt the maintenance of a disciplined atmosphere; or
f. infringe on the rights of others.
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised June 11, 2012
Students, as part of the education program, may participate in contests or other public and private events approved by the superintendent that will be of benefit to the student and the education program. Performance at such events is a privilege.
Students, who perform at such events, serve as ambassadors of the school district and must conduct themselves in the same manner as required in the regular school day. Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be subject to disciplinary measures.
Students will be allowed to perform in these events only with proper permission and supervision and when the events do not disrupt the education program or other school district operations. The events must be approved by the superintendent, unless it involves unusual travel and expense, in which case the board must approve of the performance.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy. In developing the administrative regulations, these guidelines should be followed:
• Performances by student groups below the high school level should be allowed on a very limited basis;
• All groups of students should have an opportunity to participate; and,
• Extensive travel by one group of students should be discouraged.
It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent to determine whether the event will benefit the education program and the participating students. Contests or other performances by students unapproved by the superintendent shall be the responsibility of the parent and the student.
Legal Reference: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).
Iowa Code §§ 280.13 -.14 (2005).
281 I.A.C. 12.6.
Cross Reference: 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503.4 Good Conduct Rule
504 Student Activities
905 Community Activities Involving
Students
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised
Students may raise funds for school-sponsored events with the permission of the principal by submitting a fund-raiser request form. Fund raising by students for events other than school-sponsored events or organizations is not allowed. Collection boxes for fund raising must have prior approval from the principal before being placed on school property.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.
Legal Reference: Senior Class of Pekin High School v. Tharp, 154 N.W.2d 874 (Iowa 1967).
Iowa Code § 279.8 (2005).
Cross Reference: 402.9 Solicitations from Outside
502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503 Student Discipline
504 Student Activities
704.5 Student Activities Fund
905.2 Advertising and Promotion
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised February 13, 2017
Participation in school activities is a privilege. School activities provide the benefits of promoting additional interests and ability in the students during their school years and for their lifetime.
Students will have an opportunity to participate in a school activity unless the activity is not offered, the activity is an intramural or interscholastic athletic activity or the student cannot participate for disciplinary reasons. If the activity is an intramural or interscholastic athletic activity, students of the opposite sex will have a comparable opportunity for participation. Comparable opportunity does not guarantee boys and girls will be allowed to play on each other's teams when there are athletic activities available that will allow both boys and girls to reap the benefits of school activities, which are the promotion of additional interests and abilities in the students.
Student activity events must be approved by the superintendent unless it involves unusual travel expense, in which case the board will take action. The events must not disrupt the education program or other school district operations.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations for each school activity. These regulations shall include, but not be limited to, when physical examinations will be required, how and when parents will be informed about the risk of the activity, academic requirements, and proof of insurance on the student participating in certain activities. Students wanting to participate in school activities must meet the requirements set out by the school district for participation in the activity.
Legal Reference: 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1683; 1685-1686 (1994).
34 C.F.R. Pt. 106.41 (1993).
Iowa Code §§ 216.9; 280.13 -.14 (2005).
281 I.A.C. 12.6., 36.15.
Cross Reference: 501 Student Attendance
502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503 Student Discipline
504 Student Activities
507 Student Health and Well-Being
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed January 10, 2022
Revised