Board committee narrows language on extracurriculars and non‑school student groups; sets notice and volunteer expectations
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Summary
The KCSD policy committee reviewed revisions to Policy 122 and related administrative regulations (ARs) to clarify definitions for extracurricular activities, non‑curricular clubs, volunteer participation and procedures for non‑school sponsored student groups, including a seven‑day notice for outside speakers.
The KCSD Board Policy Committee spent considerable time on Sept. 10 clarifying Policy 122 (Extracurricular Activities) and Administrative Regulations associated with non‑school sponsored student groups, agreeing to move the revised language forward and to add a requirement that outside participants be approved in advance.
Board members and staff discussed three central issues: how the district distinguishes curriculum‑related activities from extracurricular clubs, whether clubs should be paid or volunteer‑led, and how outside participants or volunteers may attend club meetings. "There are lots of things that are interesting to people that have nothing to do with what the board has adopted as its course of work," a staff member said while explaining why the policy allows activities not tied to formal curriculum.
The committee agreed that volunteers may participate in extracurricular activities but that paid roles such as coaches who receive stipends must be employees rather than volunteers. Staff explained that volunteers who are not "directly affiliated with the district may not regularly attend meetings of non curricular related activities," though occasional outside guests may be invited and must be processed through the principal to ensure building access and supervision.
For non‑school sponsored student groups (Policy 122.1 and related ARs), the committee confirmed a procedural requirement that student organizers submit requests on a designated district form and that principals be given seven days’ notice when outside attendees or presenters are expected. "If there's gonna be someone coming in from the outside, then the principal has to know seven days in advance," a staff member said.
Members asked staff to clarify wording that might create ambiguity for volunteers and nonaffiliated attendees. A board member said, as a layperson reading the draft, the term "affiliated" opens a gray area and asked staff to improve the sentence clarity in the AR. Staff and the committee agreed the AR could be tightened to clarify who must notify the principal and what constitutes regular attendance.
The committee also asked staff to ensure that annual club reports include a column showing student participation counts; that detail had been provided in last year’s report but was not visible in BoardDocs, and board members asked staff to preserve that metric in future reports.
The committee forwarded the ARs and policy edits for further processing and asked staff to produce digital forms and maintain paper options for families without internet access.