3510 - Associated Student Bodies Policy

Policy 3510

STUDENTS

Associated Student Bodies 

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 will be a formal organization of students, including sub-components or affiliated student groups. Each ASB will submit a constitution and bylaws to the board for approval. The constitution and bylaws will identify how student activities become approved as ASB activities and establish standards for their supervision, governance, and financing.

Subject to the ASB approval process, any lawful activity that promotes the educational, recreational, or cultural growth of students as an optional extracurricular or co-curricular activity may be considered for recognition as an ASB activity. Any lawful fundraising practices that are consistent with the goals and policies of the district may be acceptable methods for ASB fundraising. For elementary schools, the school principal or designee is authorized to act as the ASB.

The school principal will 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 will have the authority and responsibility to intervene in any activities that are inconsistent with district policy, ASB standards, student safety, or ordinarily accepted standards of behavior in the community. When in doubt, advisors shall consult with the school principal regarding the suitability of proposed student activities. Student activities cannot include support or opposition to any political candidate or ballot measure.

Annually each ASB will prepare and submit an ASB budget for board for approval. All property and money acquired by ASBs, except private nonassociated student body funds, will be district funds and will be deposited and disbursed from the district’s ASB program fund.

Solicitation of funds by students for non-ASB 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. Non-ASB moneys will be disbursed as determined by the group raising the money. Private non-ASB funds will be held in trust by the district for the purposes indicated during the fundraising activities until the student group doing the fundraising requests disbursement of the funds and the accounts of the fundraising are complete and reconciled.

Schools 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. If such a fee is established, the superintendent or designee will establish a procedure for waiving fees for students who are eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced-price meals program and for reducing fees for students’ family members and other nonstudents sixty-five or older who, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty in paying the entire amount of such fees. Fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the ASB program fund of the district.

Cross References:	2150 - Co-Curricular Program
	7410 - System of Funds and Accounts

Legal References:	RCW 28A.325.010 Fees for optional noncredit extracurricular events—Disposition
	RCW 28A.325.020Associated student bodies — Powers and responsibilities affecting
	RCW 28A.325.030Associated student body program fund — Fundraising activities — Nonassociated student body program fund moneys
	Chapter 392-138 WAC Finance — Associated student body moneys
	RCW 28A.325.050 Associated student body program fund — Publication of information on school district web site

 

Approved: May 23, 2023