January 17, 2006
The Illinois High School Association announced today its opposition to HB4596 authored by State Representative Kurt Granberg of Centralia. Granberg’s legislation would prohibit the IHSA from keeping more than 15% of the gross receipts from the tournaments it sponsors and operates. Tournament revenue is the IHSA’s main source of income.
“I have absolutely no idea what Rep. Granberg’s motivation is since he has never discussed this issue with me,” said IHSA Executive Director Dr. Marty Hickman. “Furthermore, no school from Mr. Granberg’s area has ever expressed to me any concern regarding this issue.”
“We are proud of the fact that our Association provides the most comprehensive programs of any state association in the country and we do it without charging our member schools dues or entry fees,” said Dr. Hickman. “Our administrative staff has initiated a study related to the effects of HB4596, and it’s clear that if Rep. Granberg’s proposal becomes law, the Association will have to cut many programs or begin charging its member schools substantial dues and entry fees.”
Since its inception in 1900, the Illinois High School Association has been a voluntary organization for high schools in Illinois. In over 100 years of service, the IHSA has provided leadership to its member schools and governance in the state’s interscholastic programs, programs which have served countless millions of students. The skills those students have learned through their participation in interscholastic programs have allowed those students to achieve successes in their post-high school lives, successes that might not otherwise have been realized if those interscholastic programs were not in place. Clearly, schools, students, and parents realize the value in interscholastic programs. This legislation, however, would severely impact a large number of the more than 300,000 high school students in Illinois who participate in their school’s interscholastic programs.
Over the years, the IHSA has put in place a number of measures that offer financial assistance to its membership. Membership dues were discontinued beginning with the 1999-2000 school term, and entry fees for state series competitions were eliminated beginning with the current school term. During the 2004-05 school term, the IHSA paid its membership over $1.7 million in host guarantees, returned over $770,000 in net proceeds to those member schools who hosted state series tournaments, and reimbursed member schools over $900,000 for travel expenses during tournament play. In other words, the IHSA returned over $3.3 million to its membership last year.
If the IHSA is forced to cut programs, the impact on the high school boys and girls who participate in interscholastic events would be substantial. The IHSA currently provides 14 athletic state championships for girls and 14 athletic state championships for boys in addition to 7 championships in non-athletic activities. Among the programs that operate at a deficit and would be under the microscope in any round of budget-cutting are cross country, golf, tennis, gymnastics, music, speech, chess, and Scholastic Bowl. Together close to 100,000 students participate in these activities every year.
“In my view, our membership is appreciative of the fact that their students and communities can participate in IHSA events without paying dues or entry fees,” said IHSA Board President Jim Woodward, principal of Anna-Jonesboro High School. “It will be a sad day if the Association has to cut programs because of this legislation. I represent schools in southern Illinois, including the ones in Rep. Granberg’s area, and this has not been an issue.”
The IHSA urges member school administrators, school boards, coaches, athletic booster clubs, and other member school supporters to contact their respective State Representatives and State Senators to voice their opposition to House Bill 4596. A list of addresses and phone numbers for all state legislators can be accessed online at www.ilga.gov.