3510 - Associated Student Bodies

BOARD POLICY No. 3510

ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODIES

An associated student body (ASB) will be formed in each school within the district whenever one or more students in that school engage in money raising activities with the approval and at the direction or under the supervision of the district.

An ASB shall be a formal organization of students, including sub-components or affiliated student groups. Each ASB will submit a constitution and bylaws to the board for approval. The constitution and bylaws will identify how student activities become approved as student body activities and establish standards for their supervision, governance and financing. Subject to such approval process, any lawful activity that promotes the educational, recreational or cultural growth of students as an optional extracurricular or co-curricular activity may be considered for recognition as an ASB activity. Any lawful fund raising practices that are consistent with the goals of the district and that do not bring disrespect to the district or its students may be acceptable methods and means for raising funds for student body activities. The board may act or delegate the authority to a staff member to act as the ASB for any school that contains no grade higher than grade six.

The school principal will designate a staff member as the primary advisor to the ASB and assure that all groups affiliated with the ASB have an advisor assigned to assist them. Advisors will have the authority and responsibility to intervene in any activities that are inconsistent with district policy, ASB standards, student safety, or ordinarily accepted standards of behavior in the community. When in doubt, advisors will consult with the school principal regarding the propriety of proposed student activities. Student activities cannot include support or opposition to any political candidate or ballot measure.

Each ASB shall prepare and submit annually a budget for the support of the ASB program to the board for approval. All property and money acquired by ASBs, except private nonassociated student body funds, will be district funds and will be deposited and disbursed from the district's ASB fund.

Money acquired by ASB groups through fundraising and donations for scholarships, student exchanges and charitable purposes will be private nonassociated student body fund moneys.

Solicitation of funds for nonassociated student body fund purposes must be voluntary and must be accompanied by notice of the intended use of the proceeds and the fact that the district will hold the funds in trust for their intended purpose. Nonassociated student body fund moneys will be disbursed as determined by the groups raising the money. Private nonassociated student body funds will be held in trust by the district for the purposes indicated during the fund raising activities, until the student group doing the fund raising requests disbursement of the funds and accounts of the fundraising are complete and reconciled.

The district may establish and collect a fee from students and nonstudents as a condition to their attendance at any optional noncredit extracurricular district event of a cultural, social, recreational, or athletic nature. If the district establishes such a fee or fees, the superintendent or designee will establish a procedure for waiving or reducing such fees in the cases of those students whose families, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty in paying the entire amount of such fees and may likewise waive or reduce such fees for nonstudents of the age of sixty-five or over who, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty in paying the entire amount of such fees. Fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the ASB program fund of the district.

Cross References:
Board Policy 2150 - Co-Curricular Program
Board Policy 3515 - Student Incentives
Board Policy 4200 - Safe and Orderly Learning Environment
Board Policy 6020 - System of Funds and Accounts

Legal References:
RCW 28A.325.010 - Fees for optional noncredit extracurricular events-Disposition
RCW 28A.325.020 - Associated student bodies Powers and responsibilities affecting
RCW 28A.325.030 - Associated student body program fund—Fundraising activities--Nonassociated student body program fund moneys.
WAC Ch.392-138 - Finance - Associated student body moneys

Adopted: July 16, 2002
Revised: July 21, 2020