Senate Bill 0978c1
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Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 978
By the Committee on Education and Senator Sullivan
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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.; modifying
18 requirements relating to student eligibility
19 adopted by the governing organization for
20 athletics; providing an effective date.
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22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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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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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 to mean that a public school must allow a student enrolled in
8 a nonpublic school to participate in interscholastic
9 extracurricular activities on behalf of the public school, nor
10 shall it be interpreted to mean that a nonpublic school must
11 allow a student enrolled in a public school to participate in
12 extracurricular activities on behalf of the nonpublic school.
13 The word "nonpublic," as used in this subsection, does not
14 apply to home education students. As used in this section, the
15 term "extracurricular" means any school-authorized or
16 education-related activity occurring during or outside the
17 regular instructional school day.
18 (3)(a) To be eligible to participate in
19 interscholastic extracurricular student activities, a student
20 entering the 9th grade during the 1997-1998 school year and
21 thereafter must:
22 1. Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
23 performance contract between the student, the school district,
24 the governing organization for athletics, and the student's
25 parents or guardian, if the student's cumulative grade point
26 average falls below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale
27 maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a
28 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
29 232.246(1) or, for. In order to be eligible under this
30 section, students who entered the 9th grade prior to the
31 1997-1998 school year, if the student's must maintain a
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Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB 978
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1 cumulative grade point average falls below of 2.0 or above on
2 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
3 232.246(1) that are taken after July 1, 1997, or have an
4 overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above. At a
5 minimum, the contract must require that the student attend
6 summer school or its graded equivalent between grades 9 and 10
7 or grades 10 and 11, as necessary.
8 2. Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a
9 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester.
10 3. To be eligible to participate in interscholastic
11 extracurricular activities during his or her junior or senior
12 year, have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on
13 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
14 232.246(1). Eligibility for the first semester of the
15 1997-1998 school year for those students who entered the 9th
16 grade prior to the 1997-1998 school year shall be based on the
17 school board's policy in effect for the 1996-1997 school year.
18 Additionally, a student must
19 4. Maintain satisfactory conduct and, if a student is
20 convicted of, or is found to have committed, a felony or a
21 delinquent act which would have been a felony if committed by
22 an adult, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, the
23 student's participation in interscholastic extracurricular
24 activities is contingent upon established and published school
25 board policy.
26 (b) Any student who is exempt from attending a full
27 school day under s. 228.041(13) must maintain the grade point
28 average required by this section and pass each class for which
29 he or she is enrolled.
30 (c) An individual home education student is eligible
31 to participate at the a public school to which the student
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1 would be assigned according to district school attendance area
2 policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant
3 to district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment
4 provisions, or, and may develop an agreement to participate at
5 a nonpublic school, in the interscholastic extracurricular
6 activities of that school, provided the following conditions
7 are met:
8 1. The home education student must meet the
9 requirements of the home education program pursuant to s.
10 232.0201.
11 2. During the period of participation at a school, the
12 home education student must demonstrate educational progress
13 as required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home
14 education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
15 parent or guardian and the principal which may include: review
16 of the student's work by a certified teacher chosen by the
17 parent; grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in
18 courses taken at a community college, university, or trade
19 school; standardized test scores above the 35th percentile; or
20 any other method designated in s. 232.0201.
21 3. The home education student must meet the same
22 residency requirements as other students in the school at
23 which he or she participates.
24 4. The home education student must meet the same
25 standards of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required
26 of other students in extracurricular activities.
27 5. The student must register with the school his or
28 her intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
29 activities as a representative of the school before the
30 beginning date of the season for the activity in which he or
31 she wishes to participate. A home education student must be
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1 able to participate in curricular activities if that is a
2 requirement for an extracurricular activity.
3 6. A student who transfers from a home education
4 program to a public school before or during the first grading
5 period of the school year is academically eligible to
6 participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities
7 during the first grading period provided the student has a
8 successful evaluation from the previous school year, pursuant
9 to subparagraph 2.
10 7. Any public school or nonpublic school student who
11 has been unable to maintain academic eligibility for
12 participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities is
13 ineligible to participate in such activities as a home
14 education student until the student has successfully completed
15 one grading period in home education pursuant to subparagraph
16 2. to become eligible to participate as a home education
17 student.
18 Section 2. Section 232.61, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 232.61 Governing organization for athletics; adoption
21 of bylaws.--The organization shall adopt bylaws that, unless
22 specifically provided by statute, establish eligibility
23 requirements for all students who participate in high school
24 athletic competition in its member schools. The bylaws
25 governing residence and transfer shall allow the student to be
26 eligible in the school in which he or she first enrolls each
27 school year, or makes himself or herself a candidate for an
28 athletic team by engaging in a practice prior to enrolling in
29 any member school. The student shall be eligible in that
30 school so long as he or she remains enrolled in that school.
31 Subsequent eligibility shall be determined and enforced
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1 through the organization's bylaws. Where the student lives,
2 with whom the student lives, or which school the student
3 attended the previous year shall not be a factor in
4 determining eligibility. The organization shall also adopt
5 bylaws that specifically prohibit the recruiting of students
6 for athletic purposes. The bylaws shall prescribe penalties
7 and an appeals process for athletic recruiting violations.
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
9 law.
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11 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
12 SB 978
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14 The Committee Substitute will:
15 Require a student's improvement contract to include summer
school if a student with less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA wishes
16 to participate in interscholastic athletic activities.
17 Require a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in both the junior and senior
years, instead of only the senior year.
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Clarify that a public school is not required to allow students
19 at nonpublic schools to participate in interscholastic
athletic activities, but is required to allow home schooled
20 students to participate.
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