HB 0149

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to extracurricular student activities;
3	amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; providing that eligibility
4	requirements for participation shall apply to all
5	extracurricular activities rather than to interscholastic
6	activities only; providing that a student shall not be
7	precluded from participation in certain activities;
8	providing certain restrictions with respect to
9	participation; amending ss. 1002.33 and 1002.41, F.S.;
10	conforming provisions; providing an effective date.
11
12	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14	Section 1.  Section 1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended
15	to read:
16	1006.15  Student standards for participation in
17	interscholastic extracurricular student activities;
18	regulation.--
19	(1)  This section may be cited as the "Craig Dickinson
20	Act."
21	(2)  Interscholastic Extracurricular student activities are
22	an important complement to the academic curriculum.
23	Participation in a comprehensive extracurricular and academic
24	program contributes to student development of the social and
25	intellectual skills necessary to become a well-rounded adult. As
26	used in this section, the term "extracurricular" means any
27	school-authorized or education-related activity, including, but
28	not limited to, interscholastic activities, occurring during or
29	outside the regular instructional school day. For purposes of
30	this section, a student shall not be precluded from receiving
31	tutoring, performing community service, or attending school
32	athletic, social, and academic functions. However, a student who
33	is not eligible, pursuant to this section, to participate in
34	extracurricular activities shall not perform at school functions
35	or travel with a school team, band, club, or other organization
36	to any event where the group is to compete or perform.
37	(3)(a)  To be eligible to participate in interscholastic
38	extracurricular student activities, a student must:
39	1.  Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0
40	scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
41	cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
42	or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1003.43(1).
43	2.  Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
44	performance contract between the student, the district school
45	board, the appropriate governing association, and the student's
46	parents, if the student's cumulative grade point average falls
47	below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses
48	required by s. 1003.43(1) or, for students who entered the 9th
49	grade prior to the 1997-1998 school year, if the student's
50	cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale,
51	or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1003.43(1) that
52	are taken after July 1, 1997. At a minimum, the contract must
53	require that the student attend summer school, or its graded
54	equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and 11, as
55	necessary.
56	3.  Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above
57	on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
58	1003.43(1) during his or her junior or senior year.
59	4.  Maintain satisfactory conduct and, if a student is
60	convicted of, or is found to have committed, a felony or a
61	delinquent act which would have been a felony if committed by an
62	adult, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, the
63	student's participation in interscholastic extracurricular
64	activities is contingent upon established and published district
65	school board policy.
66	(b)  Any student who is exempt from attending a full school
67	day based on rules adopted by the district school board for
68	double session schools or programs, experimental schools, or
69	schools operating under emergency conditions must maintain the
70	grade point average required by this section and pass each class
71	for which he or she is enrolled.
72	(c)  An individual home education student is eligible to
73	participate at the public school to which the student would be
74	assigned according to district school board attendance area
75	policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant to
76	district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment provisions,
77	or may develop an agreement to participate at a private school,
78	in the interscholastic extracurricular activities of that
79	school, provided the following conditions are met:
80	1.  The home education student must meet the requirements
81	of the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
82	2.  During the period of participation at a school, the
83	home education student must demonstrate educational progress as
84	required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home
85	education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
86	parent and the school principal which may include: review of the
87	student's work by a certified teacher chosen by the parent;
88	grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in courses
89	taken at a community college, university, or trade school;
90	standardized test scores above the 35th percentile; or any other
91	method designated in s. 1002.41.
92	3.  The home education student must meet the same residency
93	requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
94	participates.
95	4.  The home education student must meet the same standards
96	of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required of other
97	students in extracurricular activities.
98	5.  The student must register with the school his or her
99	intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
100	activities as a representative of the school before the
101	beginning date of the season for the activity in which he or she
102	wishes to participate. A home education student must be able to
103	participate in curricular activities if that is a requirement
104	for an extracurricular activity.
105	6.  A student who transfers from a home education program
106	to a public school before or during the first grading period of
107	the school year is academically eligible to participate in
108	interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first
109	grading period provided the student has a successful evaluation
110	from the previous school year, pursuant to subparagraph 2.
111	7.  Any public school or private school student who has
112	been unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation
113	in interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
114	participate in such activities as a home education student until
115	the student has successfully completed one grading period in
116	home education pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
117	participate as a home education student.
118	(d)  An individual charter school student pursuant to s.
119	1002.33 is eligible to participate at the public school to which
120	the student would be assigned according to district school board
121	attendance area policies or which the student could choose to
122	attend, pursuant to district or interdistrict controlled open-
123	enrollment provisions, in any interscholastic extracurricular
124	activity of that school, unless such activity is provided by the
125	student's charter school, if the following conditions are met:
126	1.  The charter school student must meet the requirements
127	of the charter school education program as determined by the
128	charter school governing board.
129	2.  During the period of participation at a school, the
130	charter school student must demonstrate educational progress as
131	required in paragraph (b).
132	3.  The charter school student must meet the same residency
133	requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
134	participates.
135	4.  The charter school student must meet the same standards
136	of acceptance, behavior, and performance that are required of
137	other students in extracurricular activities.
138	5.  The charter school student must register with the
139	school his or her intent to participate in interscholastic
140	extracurricular activities as a representative of the school
141	before the beginning date of the season for the activity in
142	which he or she wishes to participate. A charter school student
143	must be able to participate in curricular activities if that is
144	a requirement for an extracurricular activity.
145	6.  A student who transfers from a charter school program
146	to a traditional public school before or during the first
147	grading period of the school year is academically eligible to
148	participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities during
149	the first grading period if the student has a successful
150	evaluation from the previous school year, pursuant to
151	subparagraph 2.
152	7.  Any public school or private school student who has
153	been unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation
154	in interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
155	participate in such activities as a charter school student until
156	the student has successfully completed one grading period in a
157	charter school pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
158	participate as a charter school student.
159	(4)  The student standards for participation in
160	interscholastic extracurricular activities must be applied
161	beginning with the student's first semester of the 9th grade.
162	Each student must meet such other requirements for participation
163	as may be established by the district school board; however, a
164	district school board may not establish requirements for
165	participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities
166	which make participation in such activities less accessible to
167	home education students than to other students. Except as set
168	forth in paragraph (3)(c), evaluation processes or requirements
169	that are placed on home education student participants may not
170	go beyond those that apply under s. 1002.41 to home education
171	students generally.
172	(5)  Any organization or entity that regulates or governs
173	interscholastic extracurricular activities of public schools:
174	(a)  Shall permit home education associations to join as
175	member schools.
176	(b)  Shall not discriminate against any eligible student
177	based on an educational choice of public, private, or home
178	education.
179	(6)  Public schools are prohibited from membership in any
180	organization or entity which regulates or governs
181	interscholastic extracurricular activities and discriminates
182	against eligible students in public, private, or home education.
183	(7)  Any insurance provided by district school boards for
184	participants in extracurricular activities shall cover the
185	participating home education student. If there is an additional
186	premium for such coverage, the participating home education
187	student shall pay the premium.
188	Section 2.  Subsection (11) of section 1002.33, Florida
189	Statutes, is amended to read:
190	1002.33  Charter schools.--
191	(11)  PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC EXTRACURRICULAR
192	ACTIVITIES.--A charter school student is eligible to participate
193	in an interscholastic extracurricular activity at the public
194	school to which the student would be otherwise assigned to
195	attend pursuant to s. 1006.15(3)(d).
196	Section 3.  Subsection (4) of section 1002.41, Florida
197	Statutes, is amended to read:
198	1002.41  Home education programs.--
199	(4)  Home education students may participate in
200	interscholastic extracurricular student activities in accordance
201	with the provisions of s. 1006.15.
202	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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