School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 5-49

STUDENTS

Interscholastic Competition

A. Generally

The School Board endorses the ideals of good sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity in all extra-curricular and co-curricular activities and charges all division schools with:

1. Encouraging and maintaining attitudes and actions indicative of good sportsmanship in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools;

2. Promoting the establishment of an organized program of sportsmanship activities; and

3. Recognizing the efforts of those individuals and organizations that develop and implement a sound philosophy and program.

B. Virginia High School League, Inc.

The Board endorses membership by its high schools in the Virginia High School League, Inc. (VHSL) but imposes higher scholastic standards than VHSL, as set forth in this policy.

C. Non-Athletic Interscholastic Competition

1. All competition between schools at any level shall be conducted in accordance with this policy. It is the policy of this Board that, to obtain eligibility to participate in interscholastic activities, students shall be required to have earned a 2.0 grade point average in courses taken in the semester immediately preceding the semester in which they want to participate. Final grades earned in courses taken during summer school will be averaged with the semester grades the student earned in courses taken during the second semester to determine the students second semester grade point average. The Board grants to each student one probationary semester for use during the middle school years and one probationary semester for use during the high school years, during which time the 2.0 grade point average requirement is waived.

2. Special education students, in order to participate in interscholastic activities, must (a) make standard progress, as determined by the IEP team, toward the goals and objectives in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in special education courses, and (b) meet the academic requirements set forth in paragraph C. 1. above, in credit courses. Special education students who are taking less than five subjects, due to an IEP determination that a reduced course load is appropriate, are eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics provided they meet the other requirements of this paragraph. 

D. Athletics

The board approves of a broad program of interscholastic athletics for students eligible under the rules of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) subject to the additional academic requirements set forth under subsection (C), Non-Athletic Interscholastic Competition.

The athletic programs shall be financed by community support income and such supplemental funds as may be authorized by the board. The primary consideration in all decisions regarding the support of student athletics shall be the safety, health and welfare of the students



Adopted by School Board: July 16, 1991
Amended by School Board: June 15, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: September 2, 1997
Amended by School Board: March 21, 2000
Amended by School Board: October 3, 2000