Yes, I do, but there's a fine line. If you raise it up too high, you are shutting out a population of your students that need to be represented in student government. If it's too low, though, then it's tougher to kick out those kids who really should be focusing on their academics first.
When I started doing ASB at the middle school, I actually bumped it up from 2.5 to 3.0. I did get hassled by teachers (not parents or kids surprisingly) that I was being too exclusive. I argued back that kids are coming late to class or missing whole classes sometimes because of ASB, and I need to know that ASB is not going to interfere with their academic success. After all, our first priority here at school is academics.
A variation on the GPA requirement would be to say "minimum 2.5 GPA, PLUS no D's or F's" or something like that. Additionally, you could include something about citizenship comments (you can't get any "N's" or "U's" for your conduct codes on your report card).
Ultimately, it's all about balance. You have the find a system that you can feel good about, but that your administrators can get behind should you ever get challenged.
RVI
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