Ask the Interpreters A Chat with Debbie and Roxanne Session with the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association October 4, 2010

Goals for this Session Discuss Compliance Areas that have posed problems for our members Direct members to resources to help in the area of student eligibility Provide answers to specific questions relating to student eligibility – or any other topic

International Student Rule International Students – Bylaw – Students are ineligible in Ohio member schools. Exceptions: – 1 – Student and parents move into Ohio or have lived here – 2 – Visitor Exchange Program – 3 – Student is adopted by Ohio citizens – 4 – Student and parents are US citizens but the parents reside outside the USA (missionaries, military, business, etc.)

Residence Rule Out of State Parents – – Student ineligible in an Ohio member school. Exceptions: – 1. Change of legal custody for reasons that protect the student – 2. Attend 15 days in grade 11 – 3. Continuous enrollment from grade 1 – 4. Continuous enrollment in a parochial elementary school from grade 4-8 – 5. East Liverpool exception – 6. Boarding school exception – 7. Military children – Please use OHSAA POA

Transfer Eligibility Major area of questions OHSAA has developed a “Transfer Bylaw Resource Center” on the web site at nce.htm to assist schools nce.htm All principals and athletic administrators received guidance on most of the major transfer issues this summer

The Basic Rule – If a student transfers high schools after establishing eligibility – Plays in a contest prior to school in the fall of grade 9 – Attends any high school the first five days of grade 9 The student will be ineligible for all sports at the new school for one calendar year Transfer means to change schools at any time after establishing eligibility as a 9 th grader If the student does not change schools, he/she remains eligible at the school where eligibility was first established

Parents’ Bona Fide Move Exception 1 Exception one of Bylaw Parents move into a new school district Triggers choice of either the public high school in the new district or any non-public high school Move must be contemporaneous – within the last calendar year Note “Parents” – plural Note: Residence Bylaw defines a Bona Fide Change of Residence

Parents’ Bona Fide Move What should the school administrator do? – Interview the parents – Check custody documentation – Q #12 on the Affidavit – Review the Affidavit of Bona Fide Residence with the parents – Sign the front page along with both parents – Ask the parent to take the actual affidavit to a notary – Review the document after it is notarized – Send to OHSAA – Be prepared to check on the residence periodically, document the visits, and do so at “off hours”

Major Problems with the ABFR No custody information supplied - #12 Move made prior to the last calendar year - #8, #13 No Driver’s license/ID with current address - #17,#18 No Voter Registration (note that this does not compel the individual to actually vote) No school administrator signature Failure of school personnel to check up on the residence Move not between two public school districts

Legal Change of Custody Exception 2 Exception two of When a court-ordered change of custody results in the student’s change of school district, this triggers: – Choice of the public high school in the new custodian’s school district – Choice of any non-public school Requires an actual legal change of custody, not a Power of Attorney or an affidavit for school attendance

Legal Change of Custody What must the school administrator do: – Obtain the court order and insure that it is a legal change of custody signed by a judge or magistrate – Draft a letter to either Deborah Moore or Roxanne Price stipulating The person named in the custody document is a resident of the new school district into which the student is moving The student will live full time with that resident for one full year Send a copy of the court order along with the letter

Legal Change of Custody Note: Redesignation of residential parent within a Shared Parenting agreement is NOT a legal change of custody

Bona Fide Move of a parent in Shared parenting - Exception 3 The only exception that mentions shared parenting Allows for eligibility when either one of the parents in this agreement (both have legal custody) makes a bona fide move to a new public school district Requires the ABFR Triggers the choice of public school in the district of either parent or any non-public school The same criteria as in exception 1 apply

Enrollment and Attendance Bylaw Basic rule – Students are eligible only at the school where they are enrolled and attending FULL TIME This rule prohibits eligibility for – home-schooled students – students at schools that do not sponsor certain sports – students who may want to participate on another school’s sports team – students who are in non-member schools

Exceptions to #1 – Separate 9 th grade building #2 – JVS/Career Center #3 – Community school under ORC sponsored by the Board of Education #4 – Postsecondary Enrollment Option #5 – Alternative school sponsored by BOE #6 – Home schooled but in partial enrollment in accordance with BOE policy (at least one course in the physical location of the school) #7 – STEM school

Any other Questions?? Thanks for your attention!!

Contact Us! Dr. Deborah B. Moore, Ph.D. – Associate Commissioner Or Ms. Roxanne Price – Assistant Commissioner OHSAA 4080 Roselea Place Columbus, OH