P1400 Athletics

The Wichita Public Schools will provide an opportunity for middle school and high school students to participate in selected competitive sports. 

Administrative Implemental Procedures

Section A: Interscholastic Athletic Program. 

The purpose of the athletic program at middle schools and high schools is to: 

1. Make definite contributions toward the accomplishments of the district’s mission. 
2. Encourage appropriate school citizenship and sportsmanship among participants and spectators. 
3. Support the administration and supervision of each sports activity by adults who have adequate preparation in coaching, officiating, and other necessary activities. 
4. Protect the physical welfare and safety of participants. 
5. Comply with guidelines outlined in applicable Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), federal mandates, and BOE Policy 1425 – Selection of Students for Participation in Student Activities.

Section B: Funding Athletic Programs.

1. The Board of Education will hold the administration responsible to budget for the following: 
   1. Supplemental salaries for all competitive sports. 
   2. Providing adequately for facilities, uniforms, and equipment upon opening of a new facility or when adding a new sport. 
   3. Maintenance of facilities and equipment. 
   4. Game management which shall include payment for ticket sellers, ticket takers, and any other positions necessary for conducting varsity contests; payment for varsity game officials; and payment for local transportation of varsity team members. 
2. The school principal, or appropriate designee, is responsible for the following: 
   1. At high schools, continue support of the competitive athletic program through gate receipts. 
   2. At middle schools, divide the net income from gate receipts equally among all participating middle schools. 
   3. Use accounting procedures in accordance with established Board of Education policies and/or practices to provide an accounting all income as to amount and source; provide an accounting of all expenditures; maintain records in such a way that income and expenditures for all sports can be identified to the extent possible; and maintain an inventory of all major equipment items. 
   4. Provide an annual report to the office of the Director of Athletics as to the number of participants in each sport. 

Section C: Athletic Activity Budgets.

The school principal is responsible for the athletic activity budgets in cooperation with the Director of Athletics and the Financial Services. 

1. Budgets and Accounting Procedures 
   1. Athletic activity budgets shall be prepared by school principals or designees and submitted for approval to the Director of Athletics. 
   2. Equipment items approved in the budgets will be purchased by the Purchasing Department in accordance with appropriate purchasing procedures. 
   3. Schools will use Financial Services’ accounting and record-keeping procedures. 
2. Monthly reports, by individual school and sport, will be provided by Financial Services: 
   1. Money from the general fund will be credited to the account of each school upon submission of appropriate purchase requisitions. 
   2. A check for gate receipts from all athletic contests will be routed through the office of the Director of Athletics and forwarded to Financial Services for maintaining the necessary individual accounts as well as payment by check of all expenses incurred. 
   3. All invoices for purchases will be paid by Financial Services and charged to the individual account of the school. 
   4. At the end of the school year, any surplus balances will be credited to the individual school. 

Section D: Student Activity Ticket Accounting.

1. The principal will develop procedures to promote the sale of activity tickets to students and to encourage utilization. 

2. All monies received from such sales shall be deposited in a separate account appropriately identified. 

3. Disbursement from this account shall be made only for financing student activities. 

4. The principal may approve or disapprove requests for funds from student activity ticket sales depending upon the merit of the request. If the request is approved, the principal shall tentatively reserve monies so requested. 

5. Upon the completion of student activity ticket sales, the principal shall compare the total amount requested by organizations within the school to the amount of money received from the sale of activity tickets. Necessary adjustments in budgetary requests shall be made and sponsors of the clubs or organizations advised accordingly. 

6. Activity tickets may include home athletic events, yearbook, newspaper, music concerts, plays, and possibly others. 

7. The specific amount to be set aside for yearbook and newspaper when covered by the activity ticket will be determined each year by the high school principals and the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools. 

8. Annually, the high school principals and the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools will determine the portion of each activity ticket sold to be contributed toward financing the athletic budgets of the high schools. Each high school will share equally in the total amount contributed. 

9. At the end of the school year, any funds remaining may be transferred to one or several of the school project accounts. Funds may not be transferred to any other school without prior approval of the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools. 

10. All activity accounts will be kept in accordance with the guidelines from the Kansas State Department of Education Assistant Commissioner for Financial Services submitted by the Municipal Accounting Section and will be subject to annual audit. 

Section E: Recruitment of High School Student Athletes.

School employees involved in competitive athletic programs will abide strictly to the policies of the Board of Education, Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

1. Athletic coordinators and coaches will: 
   1. Become knowledgeable of all rules and regulations as published by the NCAA. 
   2. Abide by the rules of the KSHSAA. 
   3. Accept no payment, gifts, or rewards of any nature, except as provided by the NCAA or KSHSAA. 
   4. Refrain from unduly influencing parents or students to attend a specific institution of higher education. 
2. The Director of Athletics will: 
   1. Provide each secondary school with an adequate number of copies of rules and regulations as published by the NCAA and KSHSAA. 
   2. Assist principals and coaches by providing written materials or workshops as deemed necessary for the fulfillment of their responsibilities. 

Administrative Responsibility: Secondary Education Office - Athletics

Latest Revision Date: July 2023

Previous Revision Date: October 2019 P1400

Updated administratively for alignment purposes: November 2020

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