District Sanctioned Student Organizations
Extracurricular activities should have an educational value. Any group of students that wishes to form an approved school organization must secure a faculty sponsor and petition the principal for recognition. No organization may hold activities or schedule formal meetings until the principal has approved the formation of the organization.
All funds shall be deposited in Central Treasury and all transfers of funds to or from any outside organization must be approved by the Principal.
Activities of approved student organizations are considered part of the total school program and as such are subject to the same standards as the curriculum itself with respect to such matters as physical safety, educational or cultural value, intellectual honesty, and freedom from political partisanship. Students participating in the activities of an approved student organization are subject to all rules and regulations of the North Colonie Schools.
School organizations shall be open to all students in the school in accord with purposes and activities established in the charter. No student may be denied admission to a student organization, because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, disability, genetic status, HIV or Hepatitis carrier status, or other arbitrary criteria that do not related to the purpose of the group.
Any organization which, in the opinion of the Principal, fails to meet acceptable standards shall be placed on probation and informed as to the cause. Failure to correct the cause shall result in termination of the organization.
Athletic Programs
If a recognized club wishes to become an interscholastic sport in the secondary schools, the club must apply for recognition from the Athletic Director, Principal and Superintendent. In order to be considered for team status, clubs must meet the following criteria:
- There is sufficient student interest to sustain the sport for at least 3 years, as measured by student participation in the club.
- The sport is sanctioned by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
- The proposed sport is able to compete as part of a Section II league.
- If the spot is to be funded by the district, the proposed expenditure level shall not exceed the highest current per pupil cost of existing sports.
- If the sport is to be self-funded or receive supplementary funding in addition to the district funding, the program shall be conducted in accordance with the following regulations.
- All athletic programs shall be controlled and operated by the school district. The district shall have the right to determine whether any athletic program will be started, continued or discontinued.
- All North Colonie athletic programs, under the supervision and administration of the Director of Athletics, shall function in accordance with the rules and regulations of the school district, the Suburban Scholastic Council, Section II, and the New York Public High School Athletic Association.
- All participants on athletic teams shall abide by eligibility standards, training codes and sportsmanship rules of the North Colonie Central School District.
- The funding organization shall furnish sufficient funds to cover agreed-upon costs related to the operation of the program. Budget projections and a timetable for receiving funds will be determined by the Director of Athletics and approved by the Business Administrator and the Superintendent of Schools as part of the budget process of the school district. Funds must be received by the district before commitments are made for hiring staff, reserving facilities or recruiting students.
Shall the school district fail to start such a program or discontinue it any any time during the school year for which a donation has been made by the funding organization, any amount of the donation not used for such purposes during that year shall be returned to the funding organization. If for any reason, interscholastic athletics are discontinued, the self-funding program shall be terminated and any unused portion of the financial donation will be returned to the donors. - Selection and evaluation of staff for all North Colonie interscholastic athletic programs, including those which receive supplementary funding or are self-funded, shall be the responsibility of the district. The staff shall be recommended by the Director of Athletics and the Superintendent, with approval by the Board of Education. He/She shall be a member of the coaching staff and responsible to the Director of Athletics who will evaluate the staff member.
- No student shall be denied participation based upon the student’s participant’s personal financial limitations.
- An approved athletic program supported by the supplementary funds or self-funded shall be covered by the district’s insurance coverage.
- Each approved athletic program, including the self-funded or one which receives supplementary funding, shall appoint a parent to serve as a liaison to the Shaker High School All Sports Booster Club.
Student Organizations Approved Under the Equal Access Act Without District Sponsorship
It is unlawful for any public secondary school which receives Federal financial assistance and which makes its premises available to noncurriculum related student groups during noninstructional time to deny equal access or a fair opportunity to, or discriminate against, any students who wish to conduct a meeting within that limited open forum on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical, or other content of the speech at such meetings.
Therefore, Shaker junior and senior high students may apply to form a club, which is not eligible to become a district sponsored student organization, provided that –
- The activity must be purely voluntary and open to all students.
- The activity must be student initiated and student led.
- An application describing the activity and its purpose must be submitted and reviewed by the principal who will either approve or reject it as a limited open forum student activity.
- The activity is to take place before or after the school day, i.e., no use of instructional time, including homeroom, for limited open forum activities.
- Limited open forum activities are not school sponsored. This excludes the activity from school sponsorship or coverage (e.g., insurance coverage) for such activities as trips, parties, dances, fundraising programs, etc.
- The district will provide classroom facilities for meeting purposes. The principal may approve the use of alternative facilities for informational meetings. Other activities such as speakers require building administrator approval. (See Policy #5215.)
- Limited open forum groups may have a voluntary consultant who is an employee of the school district and is approved by the building administrator. The consultant of a limited open forum group will not be paid from school district funds.
- District employees may be present only in a non-participatory capacity. Non-school persons may not direct, conduct, control or regularly attend activities of student groups.
- The activity may provide information and service to faculty and students during the school hours only with administrative approval.
- Limited Open Forum Student Groups may distribute literature and use school media to announce meetings only with building principal approval.
- The application of a Limited Open Forum Student Group may be reviewed at any time by the building administration for reconsideration of previous approval or rejection.
Notwithstanding a student group’s right to meet on school premises pursuant to the Federal Equal Access Amendment, if any student organization causes creates, or is likely to cause or create, a disruption or interference with the operation of the school program, then the Superintendent may prohibit from meeting. The decision may be appealed to the North Colonie Board of Education.
Cross-ref:
5280, Interscholastic Athletics
6100, Annual Budget
8700, Insurance
Note: Prior regulations, Administrative Regulations, 5133(a)-(b)
June 19, 1998
June 21, 1999
April 24, 2000