THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610190105
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Vanee Vines
LENGTH: 71 lines
Some of the action from Thursday's School Board meeting: Final ``waiver'' policy approved
The School Board approved Thursday a revised version of a ``waiver'' policy it added in August to its 2.0 minimum grade-point average rule for participation in extracurricular activities.
The final version remains nearly the same:
The policy gives only students new to the district a grace period to meet the minimum GPA requirement for participation in high school extracurricular activities.
Such students may participate in Portsmouth if they had been eligible to do so in their previous school districts - even if they did not transfer to Portsmouth with a 2.0 - or C - average.
To remain eligible, those students must acquire at least a 2.0 by the end of their first nine-week grading period in Portsmouth, or by the end of their first full grading period in Portsmouth if they arrive after the ``progress report period.''
Progress reports are distributed around the middle of each nine-week grading period.
The 2.0 rule, approved in 1993, took effect this school year.
The administration said that it needed to clarify some unforeseen details in the waiver policy - such as the length of a grace period for students who transfer into the district at the middle of a grading period.
The board also approved changes in the extracurricular eligibility rule itself, which the policy is part of.
Many of the revisions only reworded what was already in place, without changing the meaning.
Major changes:
The eligibility rule approved Thursday clarifies the grade point average educators will target when determining eligibility for all Portsmouth students: the one from the preceding nine-week grading period.
Former versions of the rule said students needed to acquire a C average in the ``preceding semester'' to be eligible for extracurricular participation in the following semester.
All students who get an ``Incomplete'' grade in a nine-week grading period will have five days to make up coursework.
Ten days previously had been granted. (An ``Incomplete'' grade still counts as an F if a student doesn't make up the work in time.) Oversight Committee chairman named
The board named George F. Little, 58, as Oversight Committee chairman.
Little, the committee's former secretary, is a management analyst for the Navy.
The group is made up of activists as well as several former educators.
It's responsible for monitoring the distribution of resources to the city's 19 elementary schools.
The board created the group two years ago, when it ended elementary school busing for desegregation purposes.
Last month, the board appointed 12 committee members. Only five are new to the group.
Superintendent Richard Trumble chose Little and three others for the group. One more person will be appointed later, for a total of 13.
Ignoring its guidelines for the group, the board allowed the committee to pick its chairperson the first time around in late 1994.
The former chairperson, attorney Patricia M. Wright, wasn't reappointed last month.
On Thursday, she told the board that, as committee chair, she had run into communication and other obstacles when she dealt with some district officials and committee members.
She said she would attend future board meetings to share more concerns. MEMO: See next Friday's Currents for more meeting news. by CNB