District 219 Athletes, Artists Face Stiffer Rules

Niles West and Niles North high schools will be operating under a new set of rules when it comes to allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities.

The teenagers will come under the tighter policy when the new school year begins Aug. 23.

The Niles Township High School District 219 school board voted to change the extracurricular code of conduct over the objections of school board president Robert Silverman.

The new code creates a uniform system of consequences for athletes as well as student participants in fine arts programs and other extracurricular activities. The policy is targeted at those who engage in prohibited behavior, from being at a party where alcohol is consumed by minors to bullying to fighting.

Earlier:

It changes the consequences for a first offense involving alcohol from missing a third of an athletic season--or other activity--to missing a sixth of a season. However, the penalty can be reduced or eliminated if the student agrees to participate in some kind of remediation, such as community service or substance abuse treatment.

Under the former policy, athletes who were caught at party where minors were drinking were suspended for a third of the season on a first offense. There were no set consequences for other kinds of offenses, such as fighting or bullying.

Silverman wanted to keep the more severe policy for students caught in situations involving alcohol and drugs, saying it was an effective deterrent that helped the district avoid the problems with student drinking that neighboring school districts had experienced.