House Bill 0495

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

        By Representative Boyd






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         232.425, F.S., relating to student standards

  4         for participation in interscholastic

  5         extracurricular student activities; providing

  6         that the participation of nonpublic school

  7         students in interscholastic extracurricular

  8         activities at public schools and the

  9         participation of public school students in

10         interscholastic extracurricular activities at

11         nonpublic schools is not mandatory; revising

12         provisions relating to the grade point average

13         required for participation in interscholastic

14         extracurricular student activities; requiring a

15         contract to be executed upon a student's

16         falling below a certain cumulative grade point

17         average; amending s. 232.61, F.S., relating to

18         bylaws relating to student eligibility adopted

19         by the governing organization for athletics;

20         providing an effective date.

21

22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

23

24         Section 1.  Subsections (2) and (3) of section 232.425,

25  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are amended to read:

26         232.425  Student standards for participation in

27  interscholastic extracurricular student activities;

28  regulation.--

29         (2)  The Legislature recognizes the importance of

30  interscholastic extracurricular student activities as a

31  complement to the academic curriculum. Participation in a

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

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  1  comprehensive extracurricular and academic program contributes

  2  to student development of the social and intellectual skills

  3  necessary to become a well-rounded adult.  It is the intent of

  4  the Legislature to provide the mechanism for all students in

  5  Florida to participate in interscholastic extracurricular

  6  activities. However, nothing in this act shall be interpreted

  7  as mandating schools to authorize the participation of

  8  nonpublic school students in interscholastic extracurricular

  9  activities at public schools or the participation of public

10  school students in interscholastic extracurricular activities

11  at nonpublic schools. As used in this section, the term

12  "extracurricular" means any school-authorized or

13  education-related activity occurring during or outside the

14  regular instructional school day.

15         (3)(a)  To be eligible to participate in

16  interscholastic extracurricular student activities, a student

17  entering the 9th grade during the 1997-1998 school year and

18  thereafter must:

19         1.  Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a

20  4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester

21  cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,

22  or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 232.246(1).

23         2.  Execute and fulfill the requirements of a contract

24  between the student, the school district, the governing

25  organization for athletics, and the student's parents or

26  guardian, if the student's cumulative grade point average

27  falls below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the

28  courses required by s. 232.246(1) or, for In order to be

29  eligible under this section, students who entered the 9th

30  grade prior to the 1997-1998 school year, if the student's

31  must maintain a cumulative grade point average falls below of

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

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  1  2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses

  2  required by s. 232.246(1) that are taken after July 1, 1997,

  3  or have an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or

  4  above.

  5         3.  To be eligible to participate in interscholastic

  6  extracurricular activities during his or her senior year, have

  7  a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0

  8  scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.

  9  232.246(1). Eligibility for the first semester of the

10  1997-1998 school year for those students who entered the 9th

11  grade prior to the 1997-1998 school year shall be based on the

12  school board's policy in effect for the 1996-1997 school year.

13         4.  Additionally, a student must Maintain satisfactory

14  conduct and, if a student is convicted of, or is found to have

15  committed, a felony or a delinquent act which would have been

16  a felony if committed by an adult, regardless of whether

17  adjudication is withheld, the student's participation in

18  interscholastic extracurricular activities is contingent upon

19  established and published school board policy.

20         (b)  Any student who is exempt from attending a full

21  school day under s. 228.041(13) must maintain the grade point

22  average required by this section and pass each class for which

23  he or she is enrolled.

24         (c)  An individual home education student is eligible

25  to participate at the a public school to which the student

26  would be assigned according to district school attendance area

27  policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant

28  to district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment

29  provisions. An individual home education student, and may

30  develop an agreement to participate at a nonpublic school, in

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

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  1  the interscholastic extracurricular activities of that school,

  2  provided the following conditions are met:

  3         1.  The home education student must meet the

  4  requirements of the home education program pursuant to s.

  5  232.0201.

  6         2.  During the period of participation at a school, the

  7  home education student must demonstrate educational progress

  8  as required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home

  9  education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the

10  parent or guardian and the principal which may include: review

11  of the student's work by a certified teacher chosen by the

12  parent; grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in

13  courses taken at a community college, university, or trade

14  school; standardized test scores above the 35th percentile; or

15  any other method designated in s. 232.0201.

16         3.  The home education student must meet the same

17  residency requirements as other students in the school at

18  which he or she participates.

19         4.  The home education student must meet the same

20  standards of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required

21  of other students in extracurricular activities.

22         5.  The student must register with the school his or

23  her intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular

24  activities as a representative of the school before the

25  beginning date of the season for the activity in which he or

26  she wishes to participate. A home education student must be

27  able to participate in curricular activities if that is a

28  requirement for an extracurricular activity.

29         6.  A student who transfers from a home education

30  program to a public school before or during the first grading

31  period of the school year is academically eligible to

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

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  1  participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities

  2  during the first grading period provided the student has a

  3  successful evaluation from the previous school year, pursuant

  4  to subparagraph 2.

  5         7.  Any public school or nonpublic school student who

  6  has been unable to maintain academic eligibility for

  7  participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities is

  8  ineligible to participate in such activities as a home

  9  education student until the student has successfully completed

10  one grading period in home education pursuant to subparagraph

11  2. to become eligible to participate as a home education

12  student.

13         Section 2.  Section 232.61, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         232.61  Governing organization for athletics; adoption

16  of bylaws.--The organization shall adopt bylaws that, unless

17  specifically provided by statute, establish eligibility

18  requirements for all students who participate in high school

19  athletic competition in its member schools. The bylaws

20  governing residence and transfer shall allow the student to be

21  eligible in the school in which he or she first enrolls each

22  school year, or makes himself or herself a candidate for an

23  athletic team by engaging in a practice prior to enrolling in

24  any member school. The student shall be eligible in that

25  school so long as he or she remains enrolled in that school.

26  Subsequent eligibility shall be determined and enforced

27  through the organization's bylaws. Where the student lives,

28  with whom the student lives, or which school the student

29  attended the previous year shall not be a factor in

30  determining eligibility. The organization shall also adopt

31  bylaws that specifically prohibit the recruiting of students

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 495

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  1  for athletic purposes. The bylaws shall prescribe penalties

  2  and an appeals process for athletic recruiting violations.

  3         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  4  law.

  5

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  7                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  8
      Provides that participation of nonpublic school students
  9    in interscholastic extracurricular activities at public
      schools and the participation of public school students
10    in interscholastic extracurricular activities at
      nonpublic schools is not mandatory. Revises provisions
11    relating to the grade point average required for
      participation in interscholastic extracurricular student
12    activities. Requires the execution of a contract between
      the student, the district, the governing organization for
13    athletics, and the student's parent or guardian upon a
      student's falling below a certain cumulative grade point
14    average. Amends provisions relating to bylaws relating to
      student eligibility adopted by the governing organization
15    for athletics.

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