SCOTT CITY SCHOOLS ADOPT A `NO-PASS, NO-PLAY' ACTIVITIES POLICY

SCOTT CITY -- Students at Scott City schools must earn at least a C-minus grade average to participate in school sports and other activities.

The new "no pass, no play" policy takes affect this school year.

Douglas Berry, new superintendent at the district, said the policy was one school board members expressed an interest in during the hiring process.

"It sounded like a good idea to me," he said.

Essentially, if students do not maintain a C-minus grade average, they miss a quarter of participation in sports and other extra-curricular activities.

The policy specifically includes all athletic teams, cheerleaders, pom pon squad members, band twirlers, members of the speech team, student council, FBLA and other school clubs.

"We hope a word to the wise is sufficient," Berry said. "That's why we are giving a lot of advanced warning. But we are prepared to deal with consequences."

The policy, Berry said, is designed to encourage effort in classroom work, not to prevent students from participating in programs.

"We're happy when students participate in extra-curricular activities, but as the name implies, they are extra, over and above. Classroom work is given first priority," Berry said.

"This is a way of getting students' attention and we feel once students know, this will not be an issue."

Students enrolled in special education programs are not impacted by this policy.

An after-school study session is part of the new policy. Students who do not meet the requirements may enroll in the program.

Enrollment in this program is the only way students may have limited activities privileges restored before the beginning of the next quarter, Berry said. No one is required to attend.

"At the end of two weeks, the principal will review the student's grades to see if they are up to a C-minus," Berry said.

If not, the student may continue in the program in increments of two weeks.

"What we don't want to come up with is a daily eligibility sheet."

Based on the new standard and student grades at the end of the spring semester, 67 students would not be eligible to participate in sports or other activities.

However, since this is the first year, Berry said, eligibility will be determined midway through the first quarter.

"We're saying the slate is clean for everybody, as long as they meet state high school activities guidelines," Berry said.

On Sept. 30, mid-quarter, principals will check grades and deter~mine eligibility.

"After that, we will check at the end of each quarter and will determine eligibility," he said. "The fourth-quarter grades will determine eligibility for the next fall."