When the schedule for Boothbay Region High School changed last year to just four classes a semester, the extracurricular eligibility policy remained the same so as not to make too many changes at one time.

Now that a year has gone by and everyone has settled into the routine, the extracurricular eligibility policy is changing to suit the new system. The new policy took effect the evening of Sept. 9 after the school committee reviewed it and agreed it was appropriate.

In the former policy, kids could be failing one class and still participate in all extracurricular activities, including sports. However if they were failing a second class, they would become ineligible until they pulled their grades back up.

Since students are now taking only four classes at a time, they must maintain a passing grade in all courses to be considered eligible. According to the new policy, “extracurricular activities promote physical, social and emotional health. As academics are of prime importance, it is imperative that students meet their academic obligations in order to participate in extracurricular activities.”

Teachers will submit a list of students who are failing a class to the main office every two weeks. Previously this was done weekly, but such a frequent check-in proved unnecessary, especially since some classes had weeks without homework or where students were working on a long-term project.

A student reported to be ineligible will be placed on academic probation for one week. During this week, they can participate in their activities, but must prove to the athletic director at the end of that week that they are passing all their courses. If they are not, they will be ineligible for the next two weeks. This means they cannot participate in any practices, contests, or performances during that time.

Students may only be placed on probation once per semester, but can be ineligible indefinitely. Students failing a course at the end of a quarter will be ineligible for the first two weeks of the new quarter. In this case, probation will not be granted.

Last year, then BRHS junior Nick Gorey made a proposal in his AP Language and Composition class “Champions of Change” assignment that such a change should be made. He did a survey of students for the assignment, where 45 percent of those surveyed said the policy did not encourage students to do better, and only six percent said the policy was too strict.

“The current policy is too lenient, that needs to change,” Gorey said last year. When his project was presented to the school committee late in the year, School Committee Chairman Larry Colcord said the school's athletic policy should be looked into, and Principal Dan Welch replied that “such a review is already in progress.”

Cell phone use

policy changed

Another change was made to school policy regarding the rules on cell phone use during school hours. According to Welch, while use of phones has always been restricted, the old procedures did not allow for any designated time for students to use them. The new policy changes that.

“We know that students have times when they need to communicate certain things to parents, such as changes to athletic contests or after school plans, this procedure allows for that while giving the structure so as not to disrupt academic courses,” Welch said.

The new policy allows students to use their phones in between courses, during locker break, and during lunch. They must put away and turn off their phones during classes or CORE time. If a student has their phone out without permission during class, it will be confiscated and turned into the office where the student can pick it up at the end of the day.

If a student refuses to turn over their phone they will be sent to the office with the following consequences: first offense, a warning; second offense, detention; third offense, Friday detention; and all subsequent offenses will equal Saturday detention.

A teacher may allow students to use their phone during class time for educational purposes. The school committee unanimously voted to adopt the new cell phone policy.

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