HB 1333

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to extracurricular student activities;
3amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; applying eligibility
4requirements to all extracurricular activities, rather
5than to interscholastic activities only; providing that a
6student shall not be precluded from participation in
7certain activities; providing certain restrictions with
8respect to participation; amending ss. 1002.33 and
91002.41, F.S.; conforming provisions; providing an
10effective date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Section 1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended
15to read:
16     1006.15  Student standards for participation in
17interscholastic extracurricular student activities;
18regulation.--
19     (1)  This section may be cited as the "Craig Dickinson
20Act."
21     (2)  Interscholastic Extracurricular student activities are
22an important complement to the academic curriculum.
23Participation in a comprehensive extracurricular and academic
24program contributes to student development of the social and
25intellectual skills necessary to become a well-rounded adult. As
26used in this section, the term "extracurricular" means any
27school-authorized or education-related activity, including, but
28not limited to, interscholastic activities, occurring during or
29outside the regular instructional school day. For purposes of
30this section, a student shall not be precluded from receiving
31tutoring, performing community service, or attending school
32athletic, social, and academic functions. However, a student who
33is not eligible, pursuant to this section, to participate in
34extracurricular activities shall not perform at school functions
35or travel with a school team, band, club, or other organization
36to any event where the group is to compete or perform.
37     (3)(a)  To be eligible to participate in interscholastic
38extracurricular student activities, a student must:
39     1.  Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0
40scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
41cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
42or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1003.43(1).
43     2.  Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
44performance contract between the student, the district school
45board, the appropriate governing association, and the student's
46parents, if the student's cumulative grade point average falls
47below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses
48required by s. 1003.43(1) or, for students who entered the 9th
49grade prior to the 1997-1998 school year, if the student's
50cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale,
51or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1003.43(1) that
52are taken after July 1, 1997. At a minimum, the contract must
53require that the student attend summer school, or its graded
54equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and 11, as
55necessary.
56     3.  Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above
57on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
581003.43(1) during his or her junior or senior year.
59     4.  Maintain satisfactory conduct and, if a student is
60convicted of, or is found to have committed, a felony or a
61delinquent act which would have been a felony if committed by an
62adult, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, the
63student's participation in interscholastic extracurricular
64activities is contingent upon established and published district
65school board policy.
66     (b)  Any student who is exempt from attending a full school
67day based on rules adopted by the district school board for
68double session schools or programs, experimental schools, or
69schools operating under emergency conditions must maintain the
70grade point average required by this section and pass each class
71for which he or she is enrolled.
72     (c)  An individual home education student is eligible to
73participate at the public school to which the student would be
74assigned according to district school board attendance area
75policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant to
76district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment provisions,
77or may develop an agreement to participate at a private school,
78in the interscholastic extracurricular activities of that
79school, provided the following conditions are met:
80     1.  The home education student must meet the requirements
81of the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
82     2.  During the period of participation at a school, the
83home education student must demonstrate educational progress as
84required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home
85education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
86parent and the school principal which may include: review of the
87student's work by a certified teacher chosen by the parent;
88grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in courses
89taken at a community college, university, or trade school;
90standardized test scores above the 35th percentile; or any other
91method designated in s. 1002.41.
92     3.  The home education student must meet the same residency
93requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
94participates.
95     4.  The home education student must meet the same standards
96of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required of other
97students in extracurricular activities.
98     5.  The student must register with the school his or her
99intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
100activities as a representative of the school before the
101beginning date of the season for the activity in which he or she
102wishes to participate. A home education student must be able to
103participate in curricular activities if that is a requirement
104for an extracurricular activity.
105     6.  A student who transfers from a home education program
106to a public school before or during the first grading period of
107the school year is academically eligible to participate in
108interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first
109grading period provided the student has a successful evaluation
110from the previous school year, pursuant to subparagraph 2.
111     7.  Any public school or private school student who has
112been unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation
113in interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
114participate in such activities as a home education student until
115the student has successfully completed one grading period in
116home education pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
117participate as a home education student.
118     (d)  An individual charter school student pursuant to s.
1191002.33 is eligible to participate at the public school to which
120the student would be assigned according to district school board
121attendance area policies or which the student could choose to
122attend, pursuant to district or interdistrict controlled open-
123enrollment provisions, in any interscholastic extracurricular
124activity of that school, unless such activity is provided by the
125student's charter school, if the following conditions are met:
126     1.  The charter school student must meet the requirements
127of the charter school education program as determined by the
128charter school governing board.
129     2.  During the period of participation at a school, the
130charter school student must demonstrate educational progress as
131required in paragraph (b).
132     3.  The charter school student must meet the same residency
133requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
134participates.
135     4.  The charter school student must meet the same standards
136of acceptance, behavior, and performance that are required of
137other students in extracurricular activities.
138     5.  The charter school student must register with the
139school his or her intent to participate in interscholastic
140extracurricular activities as a representative of the school
141before the beginning date of the season for the activity in
142which he or she wishes to participate. A charter school student
143must be able to participate in curricular activities if that is
144a requirement for an extracurricular activity.
145     6.  A student who transfers from a charter school program
146to a traditional public school before or during the first
147grading period of the school year is academically eligible to
148participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities during
149the first grading period if the student has a successful
150evaluation from the previous school year, pursuant to
151subparagraph 2.
152     7.  Any public school or private school student who has
153been unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation
154in interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
155participate in such activities as a charter school student until
156the student has successfully completed one grading period in a
157charter school pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
158participate as a charter school student.
159     (4)  The student standards for participation in
160interscholastic extracurricular activities must be applied
161beginning with the student's first semester of the 9th grade.
162Each student must meet such other requirements for participation
163as may be established by the district school board; however, a
164district school board may not establish requirements for
165participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities
166which make participation in such activities less accessible to
167home education students than to other students. Except as set
168forth in paragraph (3)(c), evaluation processes or requirements
169that are placed on home education student participants may not
170go beyond those that apply under s. 1002.41 to home education
171students generally.
172     (5)  Any organization or entity that regulates or governs
173interscholastic extracurricular activities of public schools:
174     (a)  Shall permit home education associations to join as
175member schools.
176     (b)  Shall not discriminate against any eligible student
177based on an educational choice of public, private, or home
178education.
179     (6)  Public schools are prohibited from membership in any
180organization or entity which regulates or governs
181interscholastic extracurricular activities and discriminates
182against eligible students in public, private, or home education.
183     (7)  Any insurance provided by district school boards for
184participants in extracurricular activities shall cover the
185participating home education student. If there is an additional
186premium for such coverage, the participating home education
187student shall pay the premium.
188     Section 2.  Subsection (11) of section 1002.33, Florida
189Statutes, is amended to read:
190     1002.33  Charter schools.--
191     (11)  PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC EXTRACURRICULAR
192ACTIVITIES.--A charter school student is eligible to participate
193in an interscholastic extracurricular activity at the public
194school to which the student would be otherwise assigned to
195attend pursuant to s. 1006.15(3)(d).
196     Section 3.  Subsection (4) of section 1002.41, Florida
197Statutes, is amended to read:
198     1002.41  Home education programs.--
199     (4)  Home education students may participate in
200interscholastic extracurricular student activities in accordance
201with the provisions of s. 1006.15.
202     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.