IGDJ - Interscholastic Athletics and Activities
Policy IGDJ
It shall be the policy of the district to encourage interscholastic programs for students in grades 9 - 12.
The interscholastic athletics and activities programs are designed for and should contribute to the students’ physical and emotional development, healthful habits, teamwork, citizenship and proper conduct.
The athletic program is one of many school activities and therefore is under the same administration and control as the rest of the school programs.
The health and welfare of the participants is a primary consideration in conducting the athletics and activities programs. Length of practice sessions, number of practices, number of games or events and strenuous trips should be carefully planned with due consideration of the age of the students and the physical, emotional and academic demands upon the participants. With athletic programs, physical examinations, insurance coverage and supervision of recovery time from illness or accident must be provided.
Eligibility to participate in contests and events is regulated by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA).
The district shall allow homeschooled students that reside in the district and students attending a public charter school that reside in the district to participate in available interscholastic activities in accordance with Oregon law.
As per Title IX, girls may participate on teams designated for boys in any interscholastic activity if there is no girls’ team with equal opportunity for participation.
Schools will check and report on the academic progress of all students involved in OSAA-governed athletics and activities on a periodic basis. Academic checks will consider both current and previous performance, ensuring all students in Fall, Winter and Spring OSAA athletics and activities are monitored and academically struggling students are identified early. Any student with a current failing grade will have 5 school days from the reporting date to raise all grades to passing. Any student who fails to raise all class marks to passing will be required to begin and fulfill an Academic Support Program in order to continue participation. A principal may offer an Academic Support Program to a student prior to receiving a failing grade if the principal deems the student to be at risk of failing based on prior performance. The Academic Support Program shall be developed in collaboration with the student, parents and staff and shall include specific expectations, interventions and regular monitoring to support the student’s academic success. Academic Support Programs may remain in place after the athletic season/activity ends to ensure continued student success. The superintendent shall create guidelines for Academic Support Programs to promote consistency among schools and activities.
District employees and activity volunteers are prohibited from making contact or otherwise causing contact to be made with a student for purposes of suggesting or encouraging the student and/or family to maintain or change residency for activities eligibility or participation. The principal, activities director and coaches are each responsible for ensuring student participants meet all district and OSAA eligibility requirements. The principal is responsible for ensuring accurate certification regarding the eligibility of students and for verifying that coaches have been certified through the National Federation of High School Coaches Certification program prior to assuming coaching duties. The principal shall ensure that a program is in place to effectively evaluate the performance of all coaches and activities advisers under their supervision.
Principals must ensure that all coaches and/or volunteer coaches have completed a criminal records check as required by state law and by Board policy GCDA/GDDA - Criminal Records Check and Fingerprinting and its accompanying administrative regulation.
The principal shall investigate all allegations of district student ineligibility, staff recruitment violations or other student or staff conduct that may violate Board policy, administrative regulations and/or OSAA rules and regulations. They shall notify the superintendent of conduct that violates the terms of this policy and report to OSAA as required.
An employee determined to have violated rules and regulations of OSAA may be subject to discipline, up to and including, dismissal. A student in violation of OSAA rules and regulations will be subject to discipline, up to and including, dismissal from his/her interscholastic activity or program and expulsion from school. Volunteers shall be subject to discipline up to removal from district programs and activities and such other sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by the Board.
Employees, volunteers or students in violation of OSAA rules and/or regulations may be required to remunerate the district in the event of fines assessed by OSAA as a result of their actions.
END OF POLICY
ORS 326.051
ORS 332.075(1)(e)
ORS 339.450 to -339.460
OAR 581-015-2255
OAR 581-021-0045 to -0049
OAR 581-026-0005
OAR 581-026-0700
OAR 581-026-0705
OAR 581-026-0710
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1683 (2012); Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, 34 C.F.R. Part 106 (2017).
Oregon School Activities Association, OSAA Handbook.
Montgomery v. Bd. of Educ., 188 Or. App. 63 (2003).