IHSA Announcements
July 10, 1996
Task Force Zeroes In on Two of Four Concept Areas
BLOOMINGTON — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Task Force on Public/Private School Issues began the process of completing a working document at its sixth meeting in the IHSA Office Thursday (July 10).
The Task Force reviewed and reacted to sets of specific concepts presented by Chairperson Gary Collins, principal of Monmouth (H.S.), and a member of the IHSA Board of Directors. The concepts were compiled from the focus of thought from the five previous meetings. While not reaching a position to draft definite recommendations, the Task Force moved forcefully in the direction of consensus on concepts in the areas of by-law enforcement and criteria for eligibility for incoming freshmen. In the areas of transfer rules and financial aid, it was presented with concepts to which further discussion will be necessary.
"We made significant progress today," Collins said. "I am confident there will be several recommendations ultimately presented to the IHSA Board of Directors in all four categories. We are close in the areas of enforcement and initial eligibility requirements. Transfer and financial aid will be addressed at our next meeting. Then we will be in a position to solicit input from our member school principals in the annual series of Principals Rules Meetings scheduled for late September and early October."
The next meeting of the Task Force will be at 10:00 a.m. August 7 in the IHSA Office.
Collins said that in the area of transfer rules, Task Force members have been charged to look at the concepts of transfers from private schools to public schools and from private schools to private schools, and to "be thinking about" transfers from public to private schools. The status of students who transfer during a specific sport season will definitely be addressed, Collins said. The ramifications of the impact of financial aid need to be further identified before the Task Force could begin to reach consensus regarding concepts that may be turned into recommendations, he noted.
Schedule for the 1996-97 school year Principals Rules Meetings is still tentative, but its is projected there will be 13 statewide between Sept. 18 and Oct. 9. This is the second year of Principals Rules Meetings. Last school year they were well attended throughout all geographic divisions of the Association. All Task Force concepts will be presented at the meetings and principals will have the opportunity to react to and address all of them at these Principals Rules Meetings. The Task Force then will have to finalize any recommendations it will make to the IHSA Board of Directors. Deadline for submitting by-law proposals for consideration in the 1996-97 school year regular referendum process is Oct. 15.
"At this point in time I really don't know if a complete package of recommendations could be presented to the Board of Directors for its action in time to become included in the regular annual referendum process," Collins said. "If things can fall into place, then that's good. If the process requires more time, we will take it. If there are any compelling recommendations for either by-law revision or Board of Directors policy implementation, it would not be impossible for use to move quickly in this direction."