SANTA ANA : Educators Consider Activities Probation

Santa Ana Unified School District students who are involved in extracurricular activities and fall below a C average may now get a chance to improve their academic performance before being barred from the activity.

The district’s Board of Education on Tuesday will consider adopting a policy that will give students a probationary one-semester period in which to bring their grades back up.

The current district policy makes students with a grade point average of below 2.0 based on a 4.0 system automatically ineligible to take part in extracurricular activities.

The new policy will assist in the competitiveness of athletic programs while serving as a motivational tool for students to improve their grades, said Joseph Tafoya, assistant superintendent of secondary education.

“The board is very concerned about sending a message to kids that anything below a 2.0 average is acceptable,” Tafoya said. “What we hope to do with this policy is to make them accountable for their academic performance.”

The extracurricular activities covered under the policy include athletic teams, students government, pep squads, drill and flag teams, musical performance groups, drama groups, forensics, school publications, special-interest clubs and service clubs.

The probationary period is not automatic. Students must petition for reinstatement and agree to an educational plan submitted to the school principal. The principal must approve the plan before a student can continue to participate in the activity.