East Haven High School (EHHS) students looking to participate in extracurricular activities may have to meet a new standard after the Board of Education( BOE) announced plans to revise its participation policy.

At multiple policy workshops, the BOE has now considered revising East Haven Public Schools (EHPS) Policy 5135, section C. The measure states that a student may not be eligible to participate in after-school extracurricular activities, including the performing arts and interscholastic athletics if they are “failing more than one course as of the most recent end of marking period grades.”

Up to the March 20 workshop, several members of the BOE have considered revising that policy so a student must not have a single failing grade in any course in the standard academic curriculum while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 70% to be eligible for participation in extracurricular activities. Students who fall below the 70% threshold will be put on “academic probation” for a period to raise their grades and continue participation.

Board members were split on the revision, and a lively conversation revolved heavily around student-athletes and if the revision would help them succeed academically or not.

According to board member Tia DePalma, the change would be unfair, would put more pressure on those who are already below the 70%, and make them less interested in their schoolwork.

“It’s not equitable. I do think it deters kids from taking higher level courses, without a doubt,” she said.

Superintendent Erica Forti mentioned multiple caveats that may prevent student-athletes from having the full capacity to maintain the 70% baseline. These included issues with time management and prioritizing too many classes above athletics and sports-related injuries, such as concussions that may cause short-term hindrances to learning. Grades not being updated in time by the end of a marking period before the beginning of a new sports season was another concern.

In support of the revision, board member Lynn Torello said that it would “level the playing field” between students with a sharp differentiation in grades and that cumulative-based eligibility would still allow mostly successful students to still participate.

“I think 70%, if we didn’t include it, would be more harmful to certain students. I think, actually, the 70% makes it more fair,” Torello said. “If you have a straight A student who fails one class but tries their hardest…and they’re not eligible. But then you have another student who has all D’s and doesn’t try, and they would get to participate.”

Torello said not pushing for the revision would be “an injustice” to both student-athletes and their counterparts.

“I don’t think there’s one student in our district who can’t do this,” she added.

EHHS Principal Vincent DeNuzzo said the revision may incentivize less academically successful students to achieve higher grades.

“I don’t think it will be something and the staff did not think it would be something to deter kids from trying to participate in something,” DeNuzzo said.

DeNuzzo brought up the results of a small sample of students who participated in the first half of winter sports during the second marking period of grading, from November to January.

“Of the 153 athletes that were eligible after the second marking period…four of them had a cumulative average below 70, and the lowest was a 66.8% cumulative average.”

The principal said high grades in elective courses such as physical education and the culinary arts helped to bump up cumulative results above the 70% threshold.

“That pulled up that 68 or 70 [percent] average in their core area classes, so it balances out,” DeNuzzo said. “Of those four students, a couple of them, with an appeals process, just knowing who those students are, and just some of the struggle they endure here, I couldn’t see through an appeal that I would stop those students from participating in those programs.”

DeNuzzo acknowledged that the results were pulled from a small sample of students who did have some ‘F’ grades and that it still can be difficult “to determine…or identify the anticipated impact” of the revised policy would be if implemented.

EHPS Athletics Director Anthony Verderame agreed that it could not be known exactly how a revision would affect student-athletes. He did agree that a probationary period to raise low grades, whether accompanied by a revised policy, is good for both the academic and personal well-being of those athletes, especially for those who play contact sports.

“If we don’t have enough to give kids a rest from the football field…in hockey, soccer, that’s a concern,” he said. “But again, no one can foresee where this is. The probationary period - I think that’s a great thing, I look forward to working with the kids during that, But whatever we decide, we’ll make it work.”

The BOE will vote on a revised version of the policy that a cumulative grade point average be met without any failing grades at its March 28.