It is the policy of the Seattle School Board that an associated student body (ASB) will be formed in each school within the district whenever one or more students in the district engage in money-raising activities with the approval and at the direction or under the supervision of the district. An associated student body will be a formal organization of students, including sub-components or affiliated student groups.

Each associated student body at the secondary level (schools containing grades higher than six) will submit a constitution and bylaws to the Board for approval at an interval or frequency to be determined by the Board. The constitution and bylaws will 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 that promotes the cultural, athletic, recreational or social  growth of students as an optional noncredit extracurricular activity may be considered for recognition as an associated student body activity. All lawful fundraising practices and activities must be consistent with the goals of the district, should not bring disrespect to the district or its students and will provide educational growth to student participants. The principal may act or delegate the authority to a staff member to act as the associated student body for any school which contains no grade higher than grade six.

The 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. The primary advisor and all sub-component group advisors will be conversant with and observe all ASB procedures and requirements.  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 will consult the principal regarding the propriety of proposed student activities. Student activities cannot include support or opposition to any political candidate or ballot measure.

Each ASB will prepare and submit annually a budget for the support of the ASB program. A district-wide ASB budget will be submitted to the Board for approval. All property and money acquired by ASBs, except private non-associated student body funds, will be district funds and will be deposited and disbursed from the district’s associated student body program fund. Money acquired by associated student body groups through fundraising and donations for charitable purposes will be private non-associated student body fund monies. Solicitation of funds for non-associated 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. Non-associated student body fund moneys will be disbursed as determined by the group raising the money. Private non-associated student body funds will be deposited into the district’s ASB program fund and held in trust by the district for the purposes indicated prior to commencement of the fundraising activities until the student group doing the fundraising requests disbursement of the funds (net of any related expenses) and the accounts of the fundraising are complete and reconciled.  Private non-associated student fundraising will not be allowed by individual students or students acting in a private capacity.

The Board authorizes the collection of fees 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. Fees collected pursuant to this paragraph will be established by the Superintendent or designee and will be deposited in the ASB program fund of the district.

The Superintendent is authorized to develop procedures in order to implement this policy. The Superintendent or designee will establish a process for waiving or reducing such fees in the cases of those students whose families, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty in paying the entire amount of such fees and may likewise waive or reduce such fees for nonstudents of the age of sixty-five or over who, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty in paying the entire amount of such fees.