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Students and Student Athletes will exhibit satisfactory conduct in order to retain eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities in the Duval County Public Schools. Students attending an Alternative School cannot participate in extracurricular activities. Students that have a pending criminal charge will not be able to participate in extracurricular activities until there is a review by the Executive Director of Discipline or Designee. Example Athletic and Non-Athletic Students – Including but not limited to sports, theater (non- grade related, all clubs and other afterschool programs). On the Job Training school sites – Follow the code of conduct for infractions and apply appropriate consequence.

NOTE: Extracurricular activities and athletics are a privilege not a right in Duval County Public Schools. The safety and well-being of all students and staff is a primary focus for our Administrative Teams. Students that violate one of the 6 fighting codes in the DCPS Code of Student Conduct will lose extracurricular activity privileges​

1st fight 30-day loss of extracurricular activities, mandatory Student Options for Success (SOS) to regain privileges; 2nd fight 90-day loss of all privileges.​

Review of Student-Athlete Incidents During FHSAA Sanctioned Events. In the event that a student-athlete is involved in an incident during an athletic event governed or sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), or any other school related athletic contest, the matter shall be subject to review by both the Hearing Officer and the District Director of Athletics. No additional disciplinary action beyond that imposed by the FHSAA shall be administered until this review has been completed and a determination has been made.

 All other disciplines associated with the fighting codes will be implemented according to the Code of Student Conduct.

For In-school Suspension: Students may participate in extracurricular activities during in-school suspension except for the fighting grouped section and when placed as an intervention in discipline chart. (Example: And loss of extracurricular activities)

For Out of School Suspension: Students assigned to Out of School Suspension shall be excluded from participating in all extracurricular activities from the date of the offense until completion of the disciplinary action. For the purpose of continuity suspension shall begin the day the referral is finalized, and the consequences issued by the appropriate administrator.

For Level III, or Level IV Offenses: Students who commit a Level III, or Level IV Offense shall be excluded from participating in all extracurricular activities from the date of the offense until completion of the disciplinary action. Students referred to the Hearing Office are not eligible to participate in athletic or extracurricular events until completion of the hearing and the completion of any consequences issued by the Hearing Office from the date of the offense until completion of the disciplinary action.

Afterschool Program: All fights and/or SESIR incidents on campus should be attached to a referral in FOCUS.

Alcohol and/Drug Offenses: In addition to the actions listed above, a student who commits an Alcohol and/or Drug offense must be referred to the Night-Time Substance Use Prevention Counseling Education Program and shall not participate in any extracurricular activities during the term of the disciplinary action.

Students entering Duval County Public Schools from another school district or charter school must complete any disciplinary actions from the previous school district before the student is eligible to participate in any interscholastic or intrascholastic school activity within Duval County Public Schools.

Special Note: Athletic Policies

1. A student not currently suspended from interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activities, or suspended or expelled from school, pursuant to a district school board's suspension or expulsion powers provided in law, including ss. 1006.07, 1006.08, and 1006.09, is eligible to participate in interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular activities.

2. A student may not participate in a sport if the student participated in that same sport at another school during that school year, unless the student meets the criteria in s. 1006.15(3)(h) F.S.

3. A student's eligibility to participate in any interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity may not be affected by any alleged recruiting violation until final disposition of the allegation pursuant to s. 1006.20(2)(b) F.S.

The following includes a list of examples, such as, but not limited to, which may be considered for exclusion as eligibility standards to participate in extracurricular interscholastic or intrascholastic activities:

• School attendance policy that may prevent a student from participating.

• Alcohol/drug related behavior

• School/classroom discipline issues

• Social Media issues 39

• Bullying/Cyberbullying

• Homicide

• Sportsmanship

• Dress Code Policy

Limit of Eligibility

• High School Age Limit - A student who reaches the age of 19 prior to July 1 st , shall become permanently ineligible.

• Middle School Age Limit - A student who reaches the age of 15 prior to July 1st , shall become permanently ineligible.

• Physical Evaluation (EL2) and Consent and Release from Liability Certificate (EL3)

• Any other district policy which would remove or prevent a student from participating in extracurricular activities

• Verification of Health Insurance

• Birth Certificate • Media Release

• Sportsmanship Contract

• NFHS concussion, heat & hydration and sudden cardiac arrest courses

Middle School Eligibility

Academic Requirements: A student will become academically eligible upon his or her promotion to the 6th grade. Thereafter the student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for each grading period. A student must not have more than one failing grade to remain eligible for athletics. (Two or more F’s with or without a 2.0, the student is not eligible to participate in sports).
a) For 7th and 8th grade students, their eligibility is based on the entire previous school years’ cumulative average. The final grades for each class are what are to be used to determine GPA a student must not have more than 1 failing grade. (An F is considered a failing grade).
b) The report card will determine eligibility at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd nine-week grading periods. (Eligibility will be determined the day report cards are issued to all students in the district.) The student will become eligible or ineligible on the day that report cards are issued. Grade recovery will not affect the student’s eligibility until the day report cards are issued for the next nine-week period. (See Middle School Bylaws)
c) Any rules or regulations not addressed in the middle school constitution, we defer to the FHSAA by-laws
d) Athletes have 3 years of eligibility from the time they enter 6th grade, whether they do or do not participate in athletics during any of those years. The student must be approved by the principal to represent his/her school for each athletic contest. It is the right of the principal to deny such participation.

High School Eligibility

Academic Requirements: 2.0 GPA Required for Academic Eligibility
A high school student must have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 unweighted scale, or its equivalent, at the conclusion of each semester to be academically eligible during the next semester (s. 1006.15(3)(a)1, Florida Statutes). Final grades previously earned by the student from another school shall not be converted using the scale in Calculating GPA. The grades from all courses required for graduation that a student takes, including those taken by the student before he/she begins high school, must be included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA at the conclusion of each semester. For public school students, this includes the courses listed in s. 1003.4282, F.S.

Academic Eligibility/Ineligibility is for a semester. A student who is academically eligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically eligible for that entire semester. Likewise, a student who is academically ineligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically ineligible for that entire semester, except as provided in Bylaw 9.4.5.1.2. The student’s academic eligibility for each successive semester will depend upon his/her cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the previous semester. 9.4.1.3 Attendance during previous two consecutive semesters required. A student cannot be academically eligible if he/she has not attended school and received grades for all courses taken during the previous two consecutive semesters. (See High School Gateway Conference Bylaws and FHSAA Bylaws)

(Eligibility will be determined the day report cards are issued to all students in the district.)

All District High Schools shall be members of the Florida High School Athletic Association, Inc., (FHSAA) and shall be governed by the rules and regulations adopted by FHSAA. Students who participate in athletics shall meet eligibility requirements by FHSAA and the school board.

9.5.1 High School Student Has Eight Semesters of Eligibility. A student is limited to eight consecutive semesters of eligibility beginning with the semester he/she begins ninth grade for the first time. This does not imply that the student has eight semesters of participation. After eight consecutive semesters, the student is permanently ineligible. 40

9.5.1.1 Student Whose Limit of Eligibility Expires During Sports Season. A student whose eight-semester limit of eligibility expires during the season of a sport in which the student is participating may complete the season if the student continues to meet all other eligibility requirements. The student, however, will not be permitted to participate in any other sport that begins after his/her limit of eligibility has expired.

9.5.1.3 Exception. A student who begins the school year at a FHSAA member school, after completing the full school year in their former country coinciding with the end of the first semester of the FHSAA member school’s previous academic year, will not have their limit of eligibility impacted by the missed semester.

Special Note: Athletic Student Transfer Eligibility
Please refer to HB 225 for Transfer regulations and participation in athletics. Per FHSAA Bylaw 9.3.3.2, the EL6 is required for any student who transfers or changes schools during the school year or over the summer period between school years

Transfer Regulations before Participating in Athletics transfer student who has not participated in school-sponsored activities on or after the official start date of that sport season may seek to immediately join a team, provided the roster has not reached the identified maximum size and the coach determines that the student has the requisite skill and ability to participate.

EL 6 Notice of Transfer Form By submitting this form to the previous school, the member school is performing its due diligence in determining the eligibility of this student under the provisions of FHSAA Bylaws 9.3.3, 9.3.4 and 9.3.5. The student must meet all other eligibility requirements to maintain eligibility. The school/student must complete a GA4 Affidavit of Compliance with Policy on Recruiting. A student who is ineligible at the time of his/her transfer or change of school may not regain eligibility through the use of this form.