Board committee updates athletics code to permit middle-school community participation, tighten truancy language and add look-alike prohibitions

The Wausau School District Committee of the Whole on May 18 recommended changes to the athletics and activities code and related policies to reflect recent operational and funding changes at the middle-school level and to tighten language on truancy and look-alike products.

BJ Brandt summarized the changes, saying the board clarified what defines a "full-time student" for athletics policy and aligned the athletic code with funding that moved middle-school athletics to fund 80, which makes those activities non-WIAA-sponsored. Brandt said the document was updated so that the restriction on non-WIAA participation would not apply to middle-school athletics now funded through fund 80.

On attendance and discipline, Brandt said the athletics code’s habitual-truancy language was vague and was amended to align with current practice and Marathon County truancy-court procedures; the change gives athletic directors clearer direction when participants are cited for truancy. "We aligned our athletic code expectations with the structures that are already in place through the county for truancy," he said.

The proposed code also added language prohibiting use of tobacco or drug look-alikes (including pouches and other products) in response to increased prevalence in the community. A board member questioned enforceability, noting ambiguity about whether an item is a look-alike and raising examples such as nonalcoholic beverages and packaging; presenters said enforcement would rely on an activities council of principals and coaches to interpret ambiguous cases and create precedent.

A board member asked whether WIAA requirements were incorporated; presenters confirmed obligations required by WIAA remain part of the code. Another question confirmed that under the fund-80 approach, nonpublic or homeschool middle-school students may participate in district middle-school athletics.

The chair moved to recommend approval of the revised athletics and activities code (and related policy updates to 9270 and 2431); motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

Next steps: policy updates will be forwarded to the full board for formal adoption and staff will track interpretations and precedent through the activities council to guide future enforcement decisions.