AAA adjusts private school rules for sports

The Arkansas Activities Association voted on several key issues at their meeting this week in the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. One of the hot topics involved the classification of private schools for the purpose of athletics, and three proposals dealt with that subject. On Tuesday two of the measures failed, while the one supported by the AAA was approved.

Proposal four dealt with classification of schools, and if approved would have forced any nonpublic school that wins a state championship in football or boys basketball to remain in that class the following year regardless of enrollment. The measure failed on a vote of 42-164.

Proposal seven called for all AAA sponsored tournament competition to fall into two categories, Division one would be all schools whose student athletes compete at the varsity level without receiving need-based financial aid. Division II would be schools whose student athletes compete at the varsity level and may be recipients of need based financial aid. That measure failed by a vote of 93-114.

Proposal eight was approved by the voters, and that stipulates that students who enroll at a nonpublic (private) school must do so before July 1 before entering the seventh grade to be immediately eligible for interscholastic athletic participation. It adds that when a nonpublic school does not offer enrollment for grades seven and/or eight the student may become immediately eligible by enrolling by July 1 prior to the lowest grade offered by that school provided the CSAP form is signed.

Students enrolling in a nonpublic school after the period provided for immediate eligibility shall be ineligible for 365 days. The measure passed by a vote of 247-25.

Many Arkansas schools were lobbying for the change, which gained momentum after Shiloh Christian's 65-0 win over Berryville last fall in football. The move was made by the AAA in an effort to insure more equitable competition, and goes into effect immediately.

Measures were also approved that restrict when a band can play during football games, another was okayed that allows interstate play for border schools in states that don't border Arkansas,another measure changed the classifications for golf and an issue was approved that changes the start of softball and baseball to week 35 to avoid conflict with end of course exams.

Another measure, that would allow two more pre-season football games in weeks seven and eight, was defeated 27-175.