Pursuant to the Equal Access Act, the board authorizes non-curriculum-related student groups to meet before, after school or during non-instructional time, subject to the approval of the principal. Such approval will be granted provided that activities of the group are not disruptive to school operations and the members of the group comply with the rules established by the superintendent and/or school principal. The board authorizes the superintendent to develop administrative procedures to create or maintain this “limited open forum.”
The principal will approve the non-curriculum-related student meeting or activity provided that:
A. The meeting will be voluntary and initiated by students;
B. The school or its staff will not be a sponsor of the group;
C. The meeting will not materially and substantially interfere with the orderly operation of the school;
D. Students will be responsible for the direction, control and conduct of the meeting. Guests must be registered and must not be regular participants;
E. The use of public funds for other than incidental and/or monitoring costs will not be permitted. Funds acquired by non-curriculum related student groups will be considered non-associated student body private moneys and will be held in trust in a separate account within an associated student body fund that will be accessible by that student group;
F. A staff member will not be compelled to attend when the meeting is contrary to his/her beliefs; and
G. The constitutional rights of all persons will be respected.
The principal will be responsible for the assignment of a room and for the approval and/or assignment of a staff member to monitor the meeting.
Cross References: 2150P – Procedure Co-Curricular Program
Legal References: 20 U.S.C. 4071-4074 Equal Access Act
Wash. Const. Art. I, 11
Wash. Const. Art. IX, 4
Adoption Date: 3.06
Classification: Priority
WSSDA: 6.04
PROCEDURE FOR NON-CURRICULUM-RELATED STUDENT GROUPS
A group of students who wishes to conduct a meeting on school premises during non-instructional time will submit a request to the school principal at least five school-business days prior to the desired meeting date. The principal will grant or deny the request at least two school-business days prior to the scheduled date.
The application will provide:
A. The name of each student who is making the request;
B. The name of the monitor of the proposed group (if any);
C. A description of the proposed meeting along with its stated purpose;
D. The name(s) and affiliations of non-students (if any) who will be invited; and
E. Statements that:
1. Students will be voluntarily attending the meeting;
2. Any non-students will not be directing, conducting, controlling or regularly attending future meetings and/or activities; and
F. The time and frequency of meetings of the proposed group.
Adoption Date: 3.06
Classification: Priority
WSSDA: 6.04