Athletes at Mount Vernon High School may soon be held to higher academic standards if a athletic code revision committee has its say.

Athletic Director Eric Monson discussed those potential changes and their effect on student eligibility last week with the School Board.

Proposed alterations to the existing athletic code could increase the number of classes an athlete needs to pass from five to seven, require student athletes to be “on track” for graduation and give athletes an additional chance to compete if they violate the school’s drug, alcohol and tobacco rules.

Athletes are currently held to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s minimum guidelines, in which a student could technically play sports with five Ds and three Fs, Monson told the board. Earlier this year, the WIAA did approve increasing the number of classes a student must pass from five to six, but Monson said the committee wanted to hold students more accountable.

“The committee wants to make sure those students are on pace for graduation,” Monson said.

Students would also have to complete between 3.5 and 4 credits each semester, depending on their year in school, in order to stay eligible to compete in athletics.

In addition to raising minimum grade standards, some committee members would like to see students be given another chance if they violate the code’s behavioral standards, which includes penalties for students using drugs and alcohol.

The current code gives students another chance if they are caught violating the standards, but they must sit out 20 percent of their team’s games that season. A second violation results in students not being able to participate in any athletic contests that school year.

Proposed revisions could give students a second chance, but they would still be ineligible for 50 percent of their games that season.

“Personally I don’t agree with the committee, but it’s about 50-50 (among its members),” Monson said.

Other smaller issues raised by the committee were the district approving insurance waivers for student athletes driving themselves to local games, excluding students from sports if they are involved with illegal activities and applying the athletic code to other activities, such as ASB or school clubs.

The committee is made up of Monson, Dave Riddle, Mount Vernon High School dean of students, a number of parents and a high school coach. It has met four times since its first meeting March 10.

The Board could approve changes as early as July, Riddle said. Amendments to the code would go into effect in the fall, he said, although some would be gradually phased in.