Current Status Bill Number:291 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970204 Primary Sponsor:Mescher All Sponsors:Mescher Drafted Document Number:res1248.wcm Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Education Committee 04 SED Subject:Academics, interscholastic activities, students to pass four courses which credit graduation, School districts
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19970204 Introduced, read first time, 04 SED
referred to Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-160, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A STUDENT WHO HAS NOT PASSED AT LEAST FOUR ACADEMIC COURSES MAY PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITY IF THE STUDENT NEEDS FEWER THAN FOUR UNITS TO RECEIVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND THE STUDENT HAS PASSED ALL OF THE ACADEMIC COURSES WHICH HE HAS TAKEN DURING THE APPLICABLE SEMESTER.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-39-160 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-39-160. (A)To participate in interscholastic activities, students in grades nine through twelve must achieve an overall passing average and either:
(1) pass at least four academic courses, including each unit the student takes that is required for graduation; or
(2) pass a total of five academic courses. Students must satisfy these conditions in the semester preceding participation in the interscholastic activity, if the interscholastic activity occurs completely within one semester or in the semester preceding the first semester of participation in an interscholastic activity if the interscholastic activity occurs over two consecutive semesters and is under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina High School League.
Academic courses are those courses of instruction for which credit toward high school graduation is given. These may be required or approved electives. All activities currently under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina High School League remain in effect. The monitoring of all other interscholastic activities is the responsibility of the local boards of trustees. Those students diagnosed as handicapped in accordance with the criteria established by the State Board of Education and satisfying the requirements of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) as required by Public Law 94-142 are permitted to participate in interscholastic activities. A local school board of trustees may impose more stringent standards than those contained in this section for participation in interscholastic activities by students in grades nine through twelve.
(B) Notwithstanding subsection (A), a student in grades nine through twelve who has not passed at least four academic courses may participate in an interscholastic activity if the student needs fewer than four units to receive a high school diploma and the student has passed all of the academic courses which he has taken during the applicable semester."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and is retroactive to school years beginning with the 1996-97 school year.