The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the I Hotel in Champaign. The Board approved three action items at the meeting, including several financial updates.
The IHSA Board announced that it will suspend its annual membership assessment fee for member high schools that were implemented for the 2021-22 school year as a part of the Association’s recovery plan from the pandemic.
The annual membership assessment was approved in April of 2021 and called for an assessment fee to be paid annually in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. As a result of the Board’s action on Saturday, no assessment fees will be collected in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
In addition, every IHSA member schools who paid their assessment fee in 2021-22 will have half of the amount refunded by April. The Board hopes to refund the entire amount by 2023.
“I am both proud and appreciative to announce that we will not only discontinue the membership assessment fee, but also begin the process of returning the initial fees back to our member schools,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The pandemic had a significant impact on the IHSA budget in 2019-20 and left us with great uncertainty entering 2021-22. We were overly conversative in our financial planning, but the ability to conduct State Series tournaments this year has helped return us to stable financial footing. I take great pride in this news, as it is a positive reflection on the diligent planning by our Board, sacrifice by our staff, and unwavering support from our member schools.”
The initial assessment fee amount was determined by school size and was scheduled to decrease by half in 2022-23 and by half again in 2023-24.
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Dance State Final and IHSA Cheerleading State Final hosting contracts at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington for five years (2023-2027).
2. The Board authorized the release for a Request For Proposal (RFP) to host the IHSA Football State Finals from 2023-2027. The IHSA is seeking one site to host the state championship games and will release the RFP in the coming weeks.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken, or that action may not be required. The following is a report of those items from the March 12, 2022, agenda:
1. The Board discussed staff and board attendance at the 2022 NFHS Summer Meeting.
- The IHSA Board of Directors reconvened virtually on Wednesday, March 15, to conduct two eligibility appeal hearings:
APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Chicago (Mother McAuley). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.
2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from DeKalb High School. The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections. The Board modified the ruling and the student will have eligibility beginning in the fall of 2022.