By Eileen Oldfield Staff Writer
The Board of Education tabled a revised version of the co-curricular activities policy Tuesday, following concerns about whether grades earned in the fourth marking period would penalize students in the fall.
The policy, which handles academic, dress, behavior, and other standards for students in athletics and extracurricular activities, was last changed in December 2005.
Currently, the revised policy says students receiving failing grades in two subjects during a marking period, or on two midterms or final exams, may not play or dress for games until the end of the next marking period.
Board member Gary Cortelyou questioned the policy, asking whether failing grades on a final exam or during the fourth-marking period would ban students from activities in the fall, despite the student passing for the year.
”If you fail the fourth marking period, or final, and pass every other marking period, you end up with a B average (for the cumulative grade for a class),” Mr. Cortelyou said. “If they end up with a B average (at the end of the year), how are they going to bring up the grade?”
The policy was tabled on a unanimous voice vote, and would go back to the Policy Committee for further discussion.
According to Policy Committee Chairman Ken Lessing, the activities policy had been questioned previously, though he did not know if the most recent question would result in a change.
”In the policy, you have two weeks to make up a grade,” Mr. Lessing said. “If it’s the last marking period, you don’t have time to make it up, even though you pass for the year.”
”We’ll have to discuss it,” he added. “Whether we change it or not, I don’t know.”
