Students involved in extra-curricular activities at schools in Harrisonburg will have to meet some higher standards.

The Harrisonburg City School Board voted Tuesday night to raise minimum standards for its students to participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics.

“We had to ask ourselves if the current standards we have in place are high enough,” says Tom Mendez, the Harrisonburg City School Board Chair.

Currently, Harrisonburg schools are operating under Virginia’s statewide standards set by the Virginia High School League, Inc. A school district can change those standards but it must meet some requirements.

According to the VHSL handbook, students must be enrolled in at least five subjects and pass at least five subjects.

“I guess it’s not technically a 1.0. To pass courses, you have to at least have a 'D,' and we simply said, 'Is that high enough for our students,'” says Mendez.

Board members say, after considering different options, they voted to raise the expectations for Harrisonburg students.

“One thing we are always focused on is student performance and how to raise academic accomplishment in our schools,” says Mendez. “This coming spring semester, students must have a grade point average of at least 1.5 to be eligible for fall 2010. The next year, a grade point average of 2.0 would kick in.”

At least one parent in Harrisonburg think it’s a good idea.

“I think it’s a good thing. Students should be focusing on their academics first and then sports,” says Meredith Turner, a mother of a student-athlete.

Harrisonburg School Board representatives say this is the reaction for which they’re looking.

“My hope is that parents will understand that our goal is to increase student performance in the schools,” says Mendez.

The plan has been set in motion by the school board but members understand there will be some fine tuning.

“I think parent feedback and staff feedback, as we kind of set the course now, will all be factored into what the final product looks like," says Mendez.