The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001

SHARON

New 'No F' guidelines for students unveiled

By Kristen Garrett
Herald Staff Writer

After 17 months of haggling over a proposed "no F" policy, Sharon City School Board members may have reached an agreement for guidelines covering students' grades and their participation in extra-curricular activities.

Directors were presented Wednesday with guidelines for what could become a policy in 2002-03.

Bill Dunsmore, Case Avenue Elementary principal, acted as mediator for a committee of 18 people who developed the guidelines. The committee was made up of faculty, administrators, parents, students and community members, Dunsmore said.

According to the guidelines Dunsmore unveiled:

  • Students in extra-curricular activities, including sports and other nongraded activities, will have to adhere to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association standards that say they must be passing at least four classes to be eligible for participation.

  • Additionally, Sharon's guidelines would call for students to be passing English, math, science and social studies.

  • Students who are failing a class will be notified and must participate in tutoring sessions until their grade is brought up. If they attend the sessions, they will be able to participate in extra-curricular activities.

  • Students who refuse the tutoring will be automatically suspended from activities until they attend the sessions or bring the grade up.

  • Grades will be reviewed weekly.
"The policy looks good to me," Director Kathy Hall said. She said the board's budget committee will have to find a way to come up with money to pay for the tutoring sessions that are estimated to cost about $15,000 a year.

Director Richard Mancino -- who originally proposed the idea of prohibiting students failing a class from participating in extra-curricular activities -- said he will agree with the new proposal.

"It's an improvement. The students are still going to have to be accountable," Mancino said. "I guess I can't complain."

Director Linda Valentino said she is happy the tutoring sessions are part of the package and will be open to all students in grades seven through 12, not just those in extra-curricular activities.

Directors must put the proposal into an official policy format before they can vote on it.

Committee members met several times, Dunsmore said. They studied policies from other districts and tried to develop fair, equitable and financially feasible guidelines, he said.


You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at:

kgarrett@sharon-herald.com



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