JJIB: SPONSORSHIP AND EVALUATION OF ATHLETIC AND CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
It is the School Committee’s desire to offer students in Kittery’s public schools athletic and co-curricular programming that provides diverse, developmentally appropriate opportunities and encourages student participation. At the same time, the School Committee recognizes that resources may not be available to fund all of the sports and activities in which students and the community have an interest. In order to provide students with meaningful experiences while maintaining high quality, sustainable programs, the School Committee adopts this policy governing sponsorship and evaluation of the school unit’s programs.
Through sponsorship, the school unit assumes responsibility for, and control of, a program. Sponsorship requires School Committee approval. The District assumes responsibility only for those programs the School Committee has designated as school-sponsored.
I. INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC and CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
The School Committee will approve for sponsorship only those interscholastic programs that are consistent with its philosophy and policies and with regulations established by the appropriate governing bodies, including the Maine Principals’ Association (which refers to its regulations as “policies”). Sponsorship does not mean that funding will be provided in whole or in part through the school unit’s budget. Sponsorship is required even for activities that may be funded in full by supporting organizations.
Sponsorship is required before any team may represent itself using the school name, to be eligible for league play, competition and tournament participation, or to be eligible for school awards.
In order to assess the sustainability of all activities, each ongoing activity will be evaluated on at least a three-year cycle.
The School Committee establishes the following process for the approval and evaluation of athletic programs.
A. Criteria for Approval and Evaluation of Athletic and Co-curricular Programs
The Superintendent and/or designee shall be responsible for developing a process for evaluating potential programs and assessing the viability of existing programs.
The process shall take into consideration the following factors, which shall be applied consistently to all programs:
1. Student body interest;
2. Community interest;
3. Gender equity;
4. Impact on facilities;
5. Impact on existing programs;
6. Impact on administration and staff;
7. Expenses; including consideration of extraordinary costs (e.g., rental of facilities, transportation, specialized equipment), and other relevant data.
8. Availability of competition/ opportunities to participate;
9. Potential to field competitive teams/ groups;
10. Potential risk to student athlete; and
11. Alignment with School Committee philosophy and policies.
B. Approval of New Athletic and Co-Curricular Programs
Sponsorship of all new interscholastic athletic and co-curricular programs must be approved in advance. The Superintendent shall make recommendations to the School Committee at least six months prior to the program’s proposed starting date. Recommendations are to be made based on data from the evaluation process. A summary of the data will be submitted to the School Committee prior to its consideration.
The School Committee may impose conditions that must be met for the program to be approved.
Following initial approval, new programs will be placed on a three-year probationary status and reviewed annually.
Six months prior to the end of the probationary period, the Superintendent or designee must submit a report to the School Committee including recommendations and support for continued School Committee approval. The School Committee may provide for continuing approval or may deny approval. Probationary status shall not exceed three years.
C. Evaluation of Existing or Ongoing School-Sponsored Athletic and Co-Curricular Programs
Every athletic and co-curricular program will be reviewed on a three-year cycle.
The purpose of evaluation is to ensure that all existing or previously approved programs continue to meet the criteria established by the School Committee. (Refer to Section A)
The School Committee may authorize a program to be reviewed out of sequence based upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
The evaluation of existing or ongoing approved programs will be done using the same process used to assess proposed programs.
Based upon the data, the Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the School Committee as to whether the program should continue or be deleted. The School Committee may vote to delete any program that it deems no longer sustainable or in keeping with School Committee philosophy or criteria.
D. Delegation of Authority
The Superintendent may appoint a program evaluation or review committee to perform evaluations of proposed and existing programs. Any such committee must have balanced representation including the Superintendent and/or Athletic/ Activities Director, a building level administrator, teachers who are employed as coaches/advisors, parents, students and community members. Any such committee will use the process for program evaluation.
The committee shall be advisory to the School Committee. While it may make recommendations to the School Committee, the School Committee retains full authority over the Kittery School Department’s programs.
II. PARTICIPATION IN INDIVIDUAL SPORTS - STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS OTHER THANK KITTERY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS
The School Committee recognizes that there may be instances in which students with ability or interest in an individual sport or activity governed by the Maine Principals Association (MPA) are unable to compete for their own school because the school does not field a team/ group.
The School Committee will permit individual students, upon petition to the principal, to compete for the Kittery schools under the following conditions: 1) no supervision, practice facilities or financial support from the Kittery School Department is required; 2) the student or his/her family provides transportation to and from the competition; and 3) the family assumes liability for accident or injury. Individual participants are subject to policies of the Kittery School Committee and MPA regulations applicable to interscholastic participants.
Adopted: November 19, 2013
Cross Reference: JJI - Philosophy of Athletics
JJIBA - Hiring and Evaluation of Coaches
JJIBB - Sportsmanship
JJIBC - Relations with Booster Groups