March 16, 2002
PEORIA – The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors Saturday (March 16) began the process to review how member schools in the Chicago Public School System (CPS) will participate in the different athletic state series conducted by the Association.
Representatives from the Chicago Public Schools met with the Board and reviewed the manner in which its schools have participated in the past, and how the administration of the CPS is seeking to alter the manner of participation. In years past, the CPS conducted its own qualifying series in many of the sports in which the IHSA conducts state series. The qualifying team and/or individuals automatically advanced from the CPS qualifying meet to the IHSA State Final. In some of those sports, where participation numbers are small, CPS schools have not competed in their own qualifying series but have been assigned by IHSA to the first level of competition in the IHSA series. Under the plan being recommended by the CPS administration, its schools would be assigned to first level competition in the respective IHSA series in all sports. The CPS plan would become effective with the next (2002-03) school term.
The Board members and representatives from the CPL discussed many different facets of the proposed CPS participation change. The Board tabled action on the concept Saturday in order to conclude research regarding the impact of the proposed change. The Board next meets April 29 in the IHSA Office. It is anticipated the Board will reach a decision then.
"I think our Board is receptive to the concept, but they want the staff to study the impact of such a change across every sport, and in any administrative procedures that may be involved," said IHSA Acting Executive Director Dr. Martin L. Hickman. "If the Board approves changes to the Classification Policy before the end of the current school term, they can be implemented for 2002-03. It will require our staff to alter the assignment of schools, and may cause us to change some of the sites already selected to accommodate the new geographical configurations that emerge."
Other Action
1) The Board approved procedures for member schools to enter the state series on-line via the internet. Member schools will be required to enter the state series in all sports and activities via the IHSA web site beginning this spring for the upcoming 2002-03 (next) school term).
2) The Board approved an experiment to conduct the seeding meeting for the Quad-Cities Sectional track and field meet(s) this spring using a combination of fax and e-mail. In the experiment, the sectional manager, and those coaches of schools assigned to the sectional who choose to be at the meeting may do so. Coaches of schools assigned who cannot make the meeting would be required to be available by phone between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. to participate in the seeding meeting via the internet and/or fax.
3) The Board approved a change back to the previous method of scoring in Girls Badminton for this year's state series. Previously, the Board had approved a scoring system change to reflect changes to be used by USA Badminton.
Eligibility Decisions
1) The Board modified the eligibility decision by the Acting Executive Director that a student is ineligible at Petersburg (PORTA) until June 9, 2002, for noncompliance with transfer by-law 3.043. The student is a transfer student from Greenview to Porta where he participated in basketball and baseball during the 2000-01 school term. Greenview and Porta coop in baseball, and Board will allow Sanert to play on the coop team because it is the team he previously played on while attending Greenview.
Discussion Items
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items that the Board discusses but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the March, 2002, agenda:
Financial Update: The Board received a financial update, including procedures to be implemented to cut costs in a number of budget items, but not impacting school/student participation in the sports and activities. The report also reviewed revenues and expenses for televising events on the IHSA Television Network, and future plans.
Football Structure: The Board discussed reaction by member schools to the plans for pairing the football playoff classes in quadrants beginning with the 2002-03 (next) school term.
Trademark Update: The Board heard a report on the status of IHSA trademarks.