SHARON

Mancino clarifies ‘no F’ proposal

Sharon City School Director Richard Mancino Wednesday presented to board members a formal draft of a "no F" policy for student athletes and others and clarified his intention in proposing it.

For several months, Mancino has been asking the board to consider barring students who are failing classes from participating in extracurricular activities. In August, Director Nick Morocco suggested forming a committee to research the idea.

Mancino said he thinks his suggestion has been misunderstood.

He said he doesn’t think a student should stop playing football or running track because he or she failed a test or quiz. Students’ participation should depend on whether they are failing an entire class, he said.

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association eligibility guidelines require students to be passing half their classes.

Because Sharon students take four classes each semester, a student could have two D’s and two F’s and still be eligible for sports.

The PIAA standards are "an embarrassment to the state," Mancino said. He said a student should at least get four D’s.

Mancino said he wants the policy to encompass all extra-curricular activities that don’t offer credit toward graduation. Activities such as band or chorus would not be included in the policy because they count for credit, he said.

Under the policy Mancino presented, teachers will review grades every Friday, and if a student is failing a class he or she would be ineligible to participate in activities from Saturday morning through the following Friday when the grades would once again be reviewed. That would not disqualify players from participating in an activity that Friday night, but they would not be able to play the next Friday.

"I don’t think this is a harsh penalty for one week to get the student refocused on why they are in school," Mancino said.

Mancino presented directors with a plan to help students regain eligibility. Under the plan students must: