An associated student body (ASB) shall 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 subcomponents or affiliated student groups. Each ASB shall submit a constitution, bylaws, and a budget to the board for approval. The constitution and bylaws shall 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 which promotes the cultural, athletic, recreational, or social growth of students as an optional extracurricular 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 which do not bring disrespect to the district or its students, may be acceptable methods and means for raising funds for student body activities. Student approval that includes signed mandatory meeting minutes noting all approvals is required for all ASB activities and fundraising. Elementary schools are exempt from having a constitution and the meeting minutes requirements. The board of directors may act or delegate the authority to a staff member to act as the ASB for any school which contains no grade higher than grade six.
The principal shall 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 shall have the authority and responsibility to intervene in any activities that are inconsistent with district policy, and insure ASB compliance standards, student safety, and ordinarily accepted standards of behavior in the community are met. When in doubt, advisors shall consult the principal and district ASB coordinator 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 Business Services. Business Services combines all schools ASB budgets to a district ASB budget and submits it to the board for approval. All property and money acquired by ASBs shall be district funds and shall be deposited and disbursed from the district's ASB program 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 group raising the money. Private nonassociated student body funds will be held in trust by the district for the purposes indicated during the fundraising activities, until the student group doing the fund raising requests disbursement of the funds and the accounts of the fundraising are complete and reconciled.
The board may establish and collect a fee from students and nonstudents as a condition to their attendance at, or participation in, any optional noncredit extracurricular district event of a cultural, social, recreational, or athletic nature. (See Board Policy 3520.) Fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the ASB program fund of the district.
Cross References:
Co-curricular program-Policy 2150
Student Incentives-Policy 3515
Student Fees, Fines, or Charges-Policy 3520
Senior Citizen Recognition-Policy 4331
System of Funds and Accounts-Policy 6020
Legal Reference:
Fees for optional noncredit extracurricular events – Disposition-RCW 28A.325.010
Associated student bodies—Powers and responsibilities affecting-RCW 28A.325.020
Associated student body program fund-RCW 28A.325.030
Associated student body program fund – Publication of information on school district web site-RCW 28A.325.050
Associated student body monies-WAC 392-138
Highline School District 401
Adopted by the Board: August 1985
Revised by the Board: December 2020
Classification: Essential