SERIES 5000: STUDENTS, CURRICULUM, AND ACADEMIC MATTERS
5500 School Sponsored and Extracurricular Activities
5510 Student-Initiated, Non-Curricular Clubs
Students may voluntarily form clubs that are not directly related to the curriculum to promote activities unrelated to the regular classroom environment. Membership in a student-initiated, non-curricular club must be open to all interested and eligible District students, and the club may not refuse membership to a student based on any protected classification under state or federal law.
Students seeking to create a student-initiated, non-curricular club must first obtain approval from the building principal. If the building principal denies approval, the students seeking to create the club may submit a written appeal to the Superintendent or designee within 5 school days after the denial. The Superintendent or designee must make a decision on the appeal within 15 school days after receiving the appeal. If the Superintendent denies the club approval, the students may submit a written appeal to the Board within 5 school days after the denial. The Board will be deemed to have received the appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting and will consider and make its final decision on the appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting following the meeting when it receives the appeal (i.e., the Board’s final decision will be made by the second regularly scheduled meeting after the appeal is filed). The Board’s decision is final.
Student-initiated, non-curricular clubs may not conduct activities on school property without prior permission from the building principal. Student initiated, non-curricular clubs are permitted to meet on school property only before or after the school day, or during lunch periods; they are not permitted to meet during instructional time. Meetings may not materially and substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of the school’s educational activities or violate any Policy or state or federal law.
The District may assign a staff member to be present in a supervisory, but not participatory, capacity at meetings or activities of student-initiated, non-curricular clubs. Persons not affiliated with the District may not direct, conduct, control, or regularly attend meetings or activities of student-initiated, non-curricular clubs.
No public funds may be expended on behalf of the student-initiated, non-curricular clubs covered by this Policy except for the incidental cost of meeting space.
The District will comply with all applicable laws related to student-initiated, non-curricular clubs, including but not limited to the provisions of the Equal Access Act and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, and will not discriminate against or deny access to clubs or other groups protected by the applicable laws.
Legal authority: 20 USC 4071; 20 USC 7905; MCL 380.1299
Date adopted: 08/09/21
Date revised: 10/16/23
