Published: February 08, 2006 03:41 pm      

BOE considers new policy for clubs

At its January meeting, the Butts County Board of Education put a new policy concerning student organizations on the table for 30-day review. It states:

“Student extracurricular activities, organizations and clubs may be organized when such clubs are approved by the principal as having educational value. All activities, organizations and clubs shall be sponsored and supervised by adult school personnel and meetings held on the school campus. Non-school sponsored groups may request use of space for meetings provided that the groups submit such requests in writing in accordance with [the Use of School Facilities Policy].

According to the proposed policy, each year each school principal will maintain a listing of all school sponsored extracurricular activities, organizations and clubs in which students may participate. This list will be made available to students or parents upon request.

“No student shall be allowed to participate in any school sponsored extracurricular activity, organization or club,” the policy states, “if the student’s parent or guardian has indicated in writing that the parent will not allow the student to participate and has provided a copy of such written notice to the school principal.”

The Board’s current policy on student clubs, which would be replaced by the new policy, required student clubs to have educational value, and made an exception for 4-H clubs to use school facilities for meetings.

The Board will make its final decision on the proposed policy at its February 6 meeting.