Wausau district to convene committee to review activity code; changes aimed for May

District staff told the board they are starting a comprehensive review of the district activity code (the athletic/activity code) and requested permission to use attorney-recommended edits as a working draft.

"So basically what we're asking tonight is for permission to kind of make those changes, so we can use that document as our starting point," a staff member said, describing attorney edits that address housekeeping issues and alignment with district policies.

Staff outlined a proposed committee that would include principals from the four secondary schools, activities directors, coach/advisor members, student representatives from both high schools and parent representatives. The committee would meet through the school year, bring proposed changes to the board in May, and — if adopted by the board — the activity code would go into effect on July 1 for the 2025–26 school year.

Board members asked how coach conduct is governed and whether a separate process covers coaches. "So this governs the athletes. Is there a separate one for coaches?" a board member asked. Staff responded that coach conduct falls primarily under employee expectations in the employee handbook and board policy and said the committee work could clarify related procedures.

Staff also said recent triggers for the review included outdated nondiscrimination language, gaps in social-media guidance and the need to reconcile grading differences for programs such as WAVE that do not follow quarterly grades.

The board gave informal guidance to proceed with committee formation; the board will review committee proposals and the draft code when it returns in the spring.