The ASB Constitution

Section 1

This organization shall be known as the Renton High School (RHS) Associated Student Body (ASB).

Section 2

The predominant colors symbolic of this organization shall be red and white.

Section 3

The symbol or mascot of RHS is the “RedHawks”. This reflects RHS’s motto: pride, tradition, and excellence. ASB recognizes the significance and importance of the spirit of Henry Moses: determination, bravery, and strength and a connection to the Coast Salish Indigenous culture.

Section 1

All currently enrolled students of Renton High School shall be members of this Associated Student Body.

Section 2

Discounts are available to all members of this organization who pay an annual subscription.

Section 3

All Renton High School students are welcome at all activities, athletic events, and educational programs that take place at RHS or are hosted by RHS in other locations. No student in the RHS ASB shall, on the basis of gender, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity of the ASB.

Section 1

All legislative authority of the Associated Student Body shall be vested in the Student Council, subject to Renton High School policies and Washington State Law. The ASB advisor and/or RHS administration has the right to veto, with the Student Council maintaining the right to appeal.

Section 2

A majority of the voting members must be present at any meeting at which business is transacted by the Student Council or Executive Board. A majority shall be made up of 50% of the group plus one.

Section 1

The Student Council shall be composed of the following voting members: ASB President, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Club Coordinator, Athletics Publicity Director, Activities Publicity Director, Senior class officers, Junior class officers, Sophomore class officers and Freshmen class officers. All chartered club presidents and all current athletic captains are also invited and allowed to vote if present.

Section 2 

The Executive Board shall be composed of the following members: ASB President, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Club Coordinator, Athletics Publicity Director, Activities Publicity Director, and Class Presidents.

Section 3

Officers of the Association shall consist of the President, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Athletics Publicity Director, Activities Publicity Director, and Club Coordinator.

Section 4

Each class shall be represented by four officers; a class President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Publicity Director, with the exception of the incoming freshman class, which will be represented by four representatives who hold no title.

Section 5

The elections of the ASB Officers and Class Officers shall be held according to the guidelines in the RHS By-Laws. All election details not specified in this Constitution and by-laws are delegated to the Executive Board and are subject to approval by Student Council.

Section 1

The Constitution shall go into effect when two-thirds of the voting student body has ratified the Constitution within a timeframe that is reasonable, agreed upon ahead of time, and equitably available to all students.

Section 2

The Student Council may propose amendments to the Constitution provided that the amendment has been introduced in writing at a previously scheduled meeting and amendment has been approved by two-thirds of all present voting members. The amendment must be supported by the ASB advisor.

Section 1

The Student Council will meet a minimum of once per month during the school year, at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the group in collaboration with the advisor.

Section 2

The Executive Board will meet a minimum of once per week while school is in session, at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the group in collaboration with the advisor.

Section 3

Special meetings may be called at any time by any officer of the Association, or at the request of any member of the Student Body, with the support of the ASB advisor.

Section 1

Authority to make decisions regarding spending general ASB funds shall be vested in the officers of the Association.

Section 2

All decisions made by Student Council shall be determined by a simple majority of fifty percent plus one.

Section 3

All decisions made by the student body shall be determined by a simple majority of voting members.

Section 1

All representatives for all student leadership positions must be enrolled at Renton High School for the school year in which they hold office. Students elected to student leadership positions must be enrolled on-campus for at least two periods of the school day. The positions of ASB President and Class President must be filled by Renton High School students who are full-time on-campus students during their time in office.

Section 2

Candidates for all student leadership positions must have at least a 2.5 minimum grade point average. This can be either the GPA of the trimester previous to the election or a cumulative GPA calculated through the end of the trimester prior to the election, whichever the candidate chooses to use.

Section 3

All ASB office positions are open to current freshman, sophomore, and junior students. All class office positions are open to students enrolled in the specific class.

Section 4

All candidates for the position of ASB President must be current juniors at the time of election and must be a full-time, on-campus Renton High School student during the entirety of their senior year.

Section 5

All candidates for the position of ASB President must have previously held a position of leadership at some point in their high school career.

Section 1

All students holding an elected position must buy an ASB card for the year they are in office. Students who are unable to afford the card can apply for assistance through the appropriate RHS personnel.

Section 2

Students holding office are expected to follow the guidelines for RHS students that are laid out in the student handbook during the entirety of their time in office.

Section 3

Students holding office who have not previously taken leadership class are expected to be enrolled in a minimum of one trimester of leadership class during their time in office. Students holding office are strongly encouraged to take leadership even if they have previously taken the class.

Section 4

Students elected to an ASB officer position are expected to plan and execute a fundraiser during their time in office.

Section 5

Students who fail to meet expectations will be handled individually on a case-by-case basis, and decisions made will involve a collaborative team of the ASB advisor, class advisor, and student, as well as the assistant principal, dean of students, and/or student’s family, depending on the situation.

Section 1

The ASB President is expected to be an approachable person for all students and teachers to ask questions and learn about school events, is expected to communicate and connect with the Renton High School community, is expected to direct ASB meetings and work with the ASB advisor to create the weekly agendas, is expected to represent ASB on financial paperwork for ASB-specific events, and is expected to communicate with ASB officers not in attendance at the weekly ASB meetings.

Section 2

The ASB Treasurer is expected to sign ASB financial paperwork and communicate with the Executive Board or Student Council regarding financial decisions being made, is expected to review and sign all ASB budgets, is expected to maintain financial records in collaboration with the ASB Financial Secretary, is expected to confirm that groups requesting to spend money have sufficient funds, is expected to communicate updated club and sport balances on a monthly basis, is expected to communicate regularly with the ASB bookkeeper, and is expected to write the budgets specific to the ASB officer organization.

Section 3

The ASB Financial Secretary is expected to record all financial paperwork signed by the ASB Treasurer, is expected to report all financial information to the full Executive Board or Student Council weekly, is expected to email completed financial records to the ASB advisor within 24 hours of the weekly meeting, and is expected to maintain an up-to-date binder of printed financial records.

Section 4

The ASB Meeting Secretary is expected to take notes on the discussions and decisions that are made at ASB Executive Board or Student Council meetings, is expected to take attendance at each ASB or Student Council meeting, is expected to email minutes to the ASB advisor within 24 hours of the weekly meeting, and is expected to maintain an up-to-date binder of printed meeting records.

Section 5

The ASB Student Activities Publicity Director is expected to communicate a minimum of once per week with students about school updates, activities, and other school events via social media, is expected to have the skills necessary to design eye-catching social media posts, is expected to actively pay attention to school events and activities, is expected to communicate with staff including the ASB advisor, counseling staff, and career specialist on a weekly basis to receive information necessary to present to students, is expected to answer student activity questions through social media accounts, is expected to maintain a professional social media presence on the official RHS account(s), and is expected to collaborate with the ASB Student Athletics Publicity Director to co-manage the official RHS social media accounts.

Section 6

The ASB Student Athletics Publicity Director is expected to communicate a minimum of once per week with students about athletic events, updates and deadlines via social media, is expected to have the skills necessary to design eye-catching social media posts, is expected to actively pay attention to school athletics, is expected to communicate with the ASB advisor, Athletics Secretary, and coaches on a weekly basis to receive information necessary to present to students, is expected to answer student athletics questions through social media accounts, is expected to maintain a professional social media presence on the official RHS account(s), and is expected to collaborate with the ASB Student Activities Publicity Director to co-manage the official RHS social media accounts.

Section 7

The ASB Club Coordinator is expected to maintain an updated list of active clubs and club officers, is expected to maintain communication with club presidents, is expected to ensure that clubs are following RHS expectations as laid out in the Constitution, is expected to be the main point of contact for all RHS clubs, and is expected to hold at least two meetings per year of all club presidents in which information regarding fundraising and budgets is shared.

Section 8

The Spanish Liaison Committee is a new ASB position. This position provides Spanish translations, marketing and advertisements, and any other needs requiring translations. Depending on need, additional multi-lingual students acting as support can be added - backup committee chair, secretary and publicity. Review in creating a full committee will occur in 2025.

Section 9

The Executive Board and/or Student Council shall approve the budget, approve resolutions and other policy statements, charter all school clubs and organizations and approve the Constitutions of all such clubs and organizations, and authorize and supervise all fundraising and expenditures of all school clubs and organizations. It may adopt such rules governing the conduct of the Association and the conduct of meetings as are consistent with this Constitution and by-laws. It shall be the final judge for the qualifications for elections of all officers and students who represent this Association at any school function. Powers not delegated to the Executive Board or Student Council, and that are not in conflict with school policy, School District Policy, or State Law shall be vested in the Student Council. Student Council members are expected to share leadership and Student Government lessons learned from Leadership Camp and leadership class with the student body.

Section 10

No student may hold the same ASB officer position in consecutive years. The following positions may not hold in conjunction a club president and ASB President, ASB Vice President, and ASB Secretary and ASB Treasurer.

Section 1

The Class President is expected to attend all class meetings, is expected to establish the agenda for class meetings, is expected to check in with other officers to see if they have other things to add to the agenda, is expected to facilitate the class meetings, is expected to check in with other officers not in attendance, is expected to be the point person for the class advisor, is expected to represent the class at weekly ASB meetings, and is expected to sign all financial paperwork completed by the class Treasurer.

Section 2

The Class Treasurer is expected to attend all class meetings, is expected to fill out and submit all appropriate paperwork for all class activities that involve fundraising or using money in class accounts, is expected to check in with the ASB bookkeeper regarding class account standing at least once per month, is expected to approve all purchases for the class, is expected to work with the class secretary to ensure all money spent or gained is accounted for, is expected to submit all financial paperwork to the ASB bookkeeper or ASB advisor at least two weeks before any funds are spent or a fundraiser is set to begin, and is expected to attend monthly Student Council meetings.

Section 3

The Class Secretary is expected to attend all class meetings, is expected to take attendance at the beginning of each class meeting, is expected to take notes on the discussions and decisions that are made, is expected to print a set of notes to attach to fundraiser requests, is expected to record financial approvals from ASB, is expected to maintain organized meeting notes in a permanent binder that stays with the class advisor and travels with the class from year to year, is expected to give a copy of the year’s meeting notes to the ASB bookkeeper at the end of each school year, and is expected to attend monthly Student Council meetings

Section 4

The Class Publicity Director is expected to attend all class meetings, is expected to actively pay attention to school events and post congratulations or updates as appropriate as quickly as possible, is expected to communicate with students on school updates, activities, and resources that are relevant to the class through social media (Instagram required, Facebook encouraged), is expected to actively communicate with fellow officers, class advisor, and ASB advisor for necessary information to post on social media, is expected to maintain a professional social media presence when using the class account, and is expected to attend monthly Student Council meetings.

Section 5

The class officers are expected to collaborate as a group on all decisions that affect the class, are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings (which are to occur at least twice per month), are expected to fundraise the minimum amount for their year, and are expected to create a class budget in the spring of each year.

Section 6

The class officers are expected to work closely with their class advisor, but the ultimate responsibility for all class events rests with the officers, who are expected to work as a team on all class events.

Section 7

The freshman class is expected to raise a minimum of $500 during their freshman year, the sophomore class is expected to raise a minimum of $1000 during their sophomore year, the junior class is expected to raise a minimum of $2000 during their junior year, and the senior class is expected to raise a minimum of $4000 during their senior year.

 

Section 1

Elections for all officer positions shall be held in April of every school year.

Section 2

Elections shall be held in a manner that ensures fairness and allows voters to cast their ballots in secret. Each voter is allowed to vote only once for each ASB office and each class office.

Section 3

The right to vote in an ASB election shall be open to all Renton High School ASB members.

Section 4

All ASB and class officer candidates, in order to be considered for office, must submit an application packet and candidate eligibility verification by the date set by the ASB advisor.

Section 5

No candidates can run for more than one office simultaneously.

Section 6

All candidates for ASB office, with the exception of ASB President, will be elected as part of a pool of officers. No candidate, with the exception of ASB President, will run for a specific ASB officer position. Each ASB officer position, with the exception of the ASB President, will be assigned to the elected officers based on their particular strengths. The positions will be assigned by mutual agreement between the incoming officers, outgoing officers, and the ASB advisor before the end of the school year in which they are elected.

Section 7

All candidates for ASB office shall submit a statement, not to exceed 150 words, that indicates how they will be an approachable advocate for all students at RHS. This statement will appear on the ballot in place of candidate names. No candidate is permitted to publish any variation of their statement online or in person in advance of the election.

Section 8

All candidates for class office, with the exception of class President, will be elected as part of a pool of officers. No candidate, with the exception of class President, will run for a specific class position. Each class officer position, with the exception of the class President, will be assigned to the elected officers based on their particular strengths. The positions will be assigned by mutual agreement between the incoming officers, outgoing officers, and class advisor, with the assistance of the outgoing ASB officers and ASB advisor if necessary. This decision shall be made before the end of the school year in which they are elected.

Section 9

All candidates for class office shall submit a statement, not to exceed 150 words, that indicates how they will be an approachable advocate for all students in their RHS class. This statement will appear on the ballot in place of candidate names. No candidate is permitted to publish any variation of their statement in any way in advance of the election.

Section 10

Candidates for all ASB and class officer positions shall be selected based on a simple majority of votes cast within a specified time frame.

Section 11

Freshman class officers shall be determined by the process and guidelines laid out previously in this document. Every effort shall be made to select freshman representatives during the previous school year, but failing that, freshman officers shall be elected as soon as possible during the school year in which they are freshmen at Renton High School.

Section 12

Newly elected officers will serve alongside existing officers in an internship role from the date of the election until the date of the last Student Council meeting of the school year, or June 1, whichever comes last. After that point, the newly elected officers will take on their new role.

Section 13

All election details not specified in this Constitution or by-laws are subject to review and determination by the Executive Board and approval by the full Student Council.

Section 1

Any class officer positions that remain unfilled at the time of the annual elections can be filled by students from the same class who ran for ASB office but were not selected. Any class officer positions that remain unfilled after that point will be filled by holding an election as soon as reasonably possible, following the general election guidelines laid out previously in this document.

Section 2

If the ASB President steps down for any reason at any point during the school year of their time in office, the ASB Treasurer shall fill that role, with the assistance of the ASB advisor, until new elections can be held. If any ASB officer other than ASB President steps down for any reason at any point during the school year of their time in office, the ASB President shall fill that role, with the assistance of the ASB advisor, until new elections can be held. The election shall be held within a reasonable time frame and shall align to the election guidelines outlined previously in this document. The newly elected ASB officer shall serve only to the end of the existing term.

Section 3

If a class President steps down for any reason at any point during the school year of their time in office, the class Treasurer shall fill that role, with the assistance of the class advisor, until new elections can be held. If any class officer other than class President steps down for any reason at any point during the school year of their time in office, the class President shall fill that role, with the assistance of the class advisor, until new elections can be held. The election shall held within a reasonable time frame and shall align to the election guidelines outlined previously in this document. The newly elected class officer shall serve only to the end of the existing term.

Section 4

Students who fail to meet expectations during their time in office will be handled individually on a case-by-case basis, and decisions made will involve a collaborative team of the ASB advisor and/or class advisor and student, as well as the assistant principal, dean of students, and/or student’s family, depending on the situation.

Section 1

All clubs and student organizations must be given a charter by the RHS Executive Board or Student Council in order to be considered an official Renton High School club or organization.

Section 2

In order to receive a charter, members of that club or organization must submit an application and club constitution that indicates a goal or purpose that is aligned with the RHS constitution.

Section 3

In order to maintain their charter, all clubs and organizations must revisit their constitution on a yearly basis, make any changes or updates, and record this conversation in their club minutes.

Section 4

In order to maintain their charter, all clubs and organizations are expected to participate in some kind of community, service, or school event that showcases Renton High School to the local community at least once per year. This participation is expected to be noted in club or organization minutes and communicated to the club coordinator. Failure to participate in a community, service, or school event that showcases Renton High School to the local community will result in probationary status for that club for the following school year and continued failure will result in a loss of charter.

Section 5

In order to maintain their charter, all clubs and organizations are expected to maintain an accurate budget that is submitted yearly at the time indicated by the ASB Bookkeeper.

Section 6

In order to maintain their charter, all clubs are expected to meet a minimum of once per month during the school year. Failure to meet the minimum expectations for meeting frequency will result in a loss of charter. Club meetings must be after 3pm on Mondays or anytime after 2:03pm Tuesdays – Fridays; this allows all club officers and members the opportunity to attend ASB & Student Council meetings.

Section 7

All student clubs and organizations are required to have an advisor that is a currently employed staff member in the Renton School District.

Section 8

Club and organization advisors are required to be present at all official club or organization meetings, including any fundraising events that involve student presence that happen at any time during the school year or during a school break. Official club meetings shall not take place on the Renton High School campus if no advisor is present. If the official advisor cannot be present, another staff member must be present in their place.

Section 9

All clubs and organizations are required to have a minimum of two officers at all times. At least one officer must remain in contact with the ASB club coordinator throughout their time in office. Clubs and organizations can determine the officer positions needed, but it is recommended that at least a President and Secretary position be created. These officer positions and students that are in each position must be communicated to the ASB club coordinator as soon as they are created and/or filled.

Section 10

Club or organization officers are required to maintain meeting minutes for all club or organization meetings. These minutes must be dated, organized, and printed out. Meeting minutes are required to be maintained with the club advisor, and must travel with the club if a new advisor is selected. Meeting minutes must be maintained for the length of the club or organization’s existence. Meeting minutes must be maintained even if the club or organization does not participate in fundraising. Failure to maintain accurate meeting minutes will result in a loss of charter.

Section 11

At the end of each school year, one set of minutes must be submitted to the ASB Bookkeeper.

Section 1

All official Renton High School athletic groups are considered student organizations, and are subject to school guidelines.

Section 2

All Renton High School athletic groups are expected to designate a specific student that shall be the point of contact for the group for the duration of the school year. This student shall be responsible for signing all financial paperwork, and shall be responsible for creating the budget for the athletic group in collaboration with the coach for that sport. This student must be in contact with the ASB club coordinator throughout the year.

Section 1

A club or organization that loses its charter for any reason shall also forfeit any accumulated funds. Any accumulated funds that are forfeited due to a loss of charter shall be folded back into the ASB General Fund and used for the benefit of general student activities.

Section 2

A sport that exists for one school year and then does not exist in subsequent years shall lose any accumulated funds. These funds shall be folded back into the ASB general fund and used for the benefit of other Renton High School sports still in existence.

Section 3

If any money shall remain in the account of a class that has graduated after all debts have been paid, the remaining funds shall be placed into the “Pride, Tradition, Excellence” account. When these funds have reached a sufficient point, the ASB officers shall determine a project that will benefit the student body in a permanent way and use the funds accordingly.

Section 4

New clubs, new organizations, the incoming freshman class, and newly established sports can request a start-up grant from ASB at the time of budget submissions. These grants may or may not be granted, at the discretion of the ASB Executive Board.

Section 5

Any club, organization, or sport that makes the decision to spend ASB funds must submit appropriate paperwork a minimum of two weeks in advance of when the item will be purchased. Failure to submit financial paperwork in time can result in a $100 penalty to be paid from the club, organization or sport into the ASB general fund.

Section 6

All clubs, organizations, and sports are responsible for maintaining a positive fund balance in their financial accounts at all times.

Section 1

All elected ASB officers and class presidents are expected to attend AWSL summer leadership camp unless family obligations prevent them from attending.

Section 2

The remaining spots shall be filled by drawing the names randomly of remaining officers who are able to attend. Any unfilled spots shall be filled by other Renton High School student leaders.

Section 3

At least 75% of the cost of AWSL summer leadership camp, including transportation costs, shall be paid with ASB funds.

Section 4

Camp delegates are asked to pay 25% of the cost of AWSL summer leadership camp. If delegates are unable to pay, the ASB advisor shall make every effort to help them find funding from other building sources.

Section 1

The following are the steps that all fundraising activities shall go through in order to be approved by the Executive Board or Student Council:

1. Only one campus organization can do a type of fundraiser within an indicated period. No overlapping of same or similar fundraising will be allowed. These are done on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. All food fundraisers must comply with the USDA School Nutrition Standards. It is up to the individual organization to ensure compliance.
3. Within two weeks of the beginning of each school year, the Renton High School student store shall submit to the ASB officers a list of all items and foods being sold in the student store for the upcoming year. Student Council shall, to the best of their ability, ensure that no fundraisers are approved that would infringe on the items sold at the student store. If the student store adds items to their list during the school year, those items must be submitted to Student Council for approvals as with any other fundraiser.
4. All clothing items, including uniforms, shall be approved for purchase only after submitting a detailed design proposal. Clothing items or uniforms purchased with ASB funds shall not include any depiction of a Native American person or weapon. Spirit items may not use the word “Indian.”

Section 2

The ASB Advisor, ASB Bookkeeper, and/or ASB Treasurer must maintain an ongoing calendar of fundraisers to prevent similar, overlapping fundraising events by various student organizations.

Section 3

A 10% fee will be deducted from the profits of a club’s fundraiser if it was started prior to the approval of the ASB Executive Board and/or without the appropriate financial paperwork being submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the beginning of the fundraising event. 

Section 1

The cost of ASB cards shall be set at $30 for all students.

Section 2

All members of the Renton High School ASB who have in their possession a current ASB Student Discount Card shall be given the privilege of student discounts for ASB sponsored activities. All ASB activities shall include a discounted rate for students who hold a Renton High School ASB card for the current school year.

Section 1

These by-laws may be amended by majority vote at any regular meeting of the full Student Council, provided that proposed amendments have been submitted in writing to the Student Council, with the exception of election guidelines as previously stated in the by-laws.

Section 2

Amendments may not be proposed or adopted between the date of the ASB elections and the date in which the new officers step fully into their new positions.

• May, 1984
• March, 1989
• December, 2003
• April, 2012
• March, 2014
• March, 2015
• March, 2019