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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The Cobb County School District (District)
recognizes that extracurricular activities are an important part of school
culture. School clubs and student organizations offer students an
opportunity to learn and expand their knowledge base and to develop
leadership skills and skills for working within a group.
RULE:
Social fraternities and sororities for
students shall not be permitted in District schools, nor shall activities or
initiations connected with such groups be allowed in the schools. Teacher
sponsorship of such organizations is prohibited.
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS:
The following provisions apply to schools at all three
levels: elementary, middle and
high school.
1. DEFINITIONS:
a. School club: School clubs
are comprised of students who wish to organize and
meet for
common goals, objectives, or purposes and which are directly under the
sponsorship,
direction and control of the school, including any activities reasonably
related to
such clubs and organizations, excluding competitive interscholastic
activities or
events. Specifically, all curriculum related student groups and all
faculty-led
non-curriculum related student groups which do not hold or espouse
any
particular religious, political, or philosophical beliefs.
b. Student organization:
Student-initiated, student-led non-curriculum
related
student groups, including all groups which hold or espouse any
particular
religious, political, or philosophical beliefs.
c. School Support Organization:
Parent-teacher association (PTA/PTSA), booster
clubs, and
school foundations.
2. Parent/Guardian Notification/Consent:
a. Notification:
(1) The District
Student Code of Conduct (Rules JICDA-E,
JICDA-M,
JICDA-H) shall
include information regarding school clubs and student organizations.
(2) School-produced
student handbooks, other school-provided information and/or
school Websites (which may be accessed at
www.cobbk12.org)
should include the following regarding each school club and student
organization, as defined above. This information should also be available in
the school’s administrative office and should be updated during the school
year. Specifically, each school club and student organization’s:
(a) Name;
(b) Mission or purpose;
(c) Name/names of the school club's faculty advisor(s) or student
organization's contact(s); and
(d) A description of past or planned activities.
b. Consent:
Parents/guardians may decline permission for their child (under the age of
18) to
participate
in a school club by completing the appropriate section of
Form JICDA-3
(Receipt of
Parent Information Guide) and returning the Form to the Principal or
designee.
3. The parent/guardian must submit written permission to the
Principal or designee
specifically stating that his/her
child (under the age of 18) may participate in a new
school club started during the school
year.
B. MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL:
The following additional provisions apply to middle and high
schools.
1. General Guidelines:
The following directives shall be
observed with regard to the activities of school
clubs/organizations and student
organizations:
a. Hazing: School clubs and
student organizations shall not use hazing or degradation
of individual
dignity as a form of initiation.
b. Sponsors:
(1) The
Principal shall assign faculty members to sponsor and coordinate activities
of school clubs.
(2) The
Principal shall not designate anyone as a sponsor, coordinator, or coach
of a student organization which is not a school club. However, the Principal
shall designate a District employee as an agent of the school to assure that
the use of school facilities by student organizations which are not school
clubs
is in keeping with the procedures of the school. The agent shall not
participate
in any way in meetings or activities of the student organization.
(3)
Non-school persons may not direct, conduct, control, or regularly attend
activities of student organizations or school clubs.
c. Privileges:
Student
organizations and school clubs shall be afforded the same privileges on
campuses including,
but not limited to:
(1) Use of school
rooms for meetings and activities.
(2) Posting of
notices concerning the student organization on designated school
bulletin boards, if such boards exist. Materials which are to be posted on
the
designated bulletin board must be approved by the Principal or designee to
ensure that the materials are not libelous, obscene or disruptive, and that
the
materials do not advocate, promote or depict illegal substances or
activities.
The Principal or designee must either approve or reject the materials within
72
hours of receipt.
(3) Use of public
address systems for announcements concerning organization
meetings and activities. The use of the public address systems for
philosophical
or advocacy statements shall not be allowed.
(4) Coverage in
school newspapers and yearbooks.
(5) These
privileges shall not include access to any other signs or display areas
inside or outside the school building.
(6) Except as
provided in Section C, nothing in this Rule shall be construed to give
any group that is not a school club or student organization access to the
school
facilities described in this Section 1.c.
d. School clubs and student
organizations that wish to distribute literature on campus
must comply with
the requirements of District Administrative
Rule ICFA (Curriculum
and Course Guides).
2. Student Organizations:
a. Students may initiate the
formation of student organizations and may apply for
use of school
facilities through the Principal or designee.
b. Finances: Funds collected and used
by student organizations which are not
school clubs
must not be handled as part of the school financial
procedures or
accounted for through the school books.
C. SCHOOL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS:
School support organizations shall be permitted to announce the time and
place of general membership meetings on the school's public address system
and on signs or display areas outside the school building.
Adopted: 7/27/78
Reclassified an Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 4/13/83; 8/8/84, 5/23/91; 6/27/91; 5/28/92; 10/13/93; 1/11/06;
7/13/06 |