IHSA Announcements

December 7, 1998

Board Acts On Advisory Committee Recommendations


BLOOMINGTON — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors acted on recommendations for Terms and Conditions and administrative procedures from several advisory committees at its regular December meeting Monday in the IHSA Office.

"Our advisory committees meet on an annual basis, usually soon after the completion of the state series in that sport or activity," noted IHSA Executive Director Dave Fry. "Each advisory committee assesses the terms and conditions for its state tournament series, and all other facets of the sport or activity which may apply to the site of its state final event, and which may apply during the regular season."

Following is a recap of the Board action Monday:

Music

  1. Approved a recommendation to eliminate the requirements for site reading for instrumental solos in solo/ensemble competition.

  2. Approved a recommendation in solo/ensemble to establish a "Best of the Day" award to be granted by each judge to one performance evaluated by the judge. No Sweepstakes points will be awarded for this recognition. Each Judge will have the opportunity to select that event from their room which they have determined to be the "best performance" of the day. This can be a soloist or an ensemble, but it is meant to represent only the very best performance. Any event getting a perfect score will automatically receive this award.

  3. Approved a recommendation to create an option for schools to purchase medals for second division rating.

  4. Approved a recommendation in organization to create a "Perpetual Plaque" as an option which schools winning Division I rating may purchase one-time and then purchase "add-on bars" for subsequent Division I awards.

  5. Approved a recommendation to increase solo/ensemble and organization manager stipend to $200.

  6. Set the following 2000-01 dates for solo/ensemble and organization contests: solo/ensemble March 4 and organization April 8.

Baseball/Softball

  1. Accepted the recommendation from both the baseball and softball advisory committees not to create a singular Bat and Ball advisory committee.

Equity Sub-Committee

  1. Accepted and endorsed procedures contained the Equity Assessment Instrument developed by the sub-committee of the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee. The instrument will be used in the future by all athletic and activity advisory committees to evaluate each sport and activity. The components of the instrument will include benefits, service and publicity.

Other Action

The Board took the following action regarding the operation of the Association:

  1. Received the results of the survey from the fall Principals Rules Meetings and authorized the IHSA staff to develop reports to the Board regarding the following topics from the survey results: a) Ticket Pricing for state series events as an acceptable way to generate new revenue for major Association growth needs; b) consider expansion of classes in basketball; c) reconvene the action team on non-school competition and camps and clinics to evaluate which sections of it comprehensive proposal need refinement for future consideration by the IHSA Legislative Commission; d) voted to establish an ad hoc committee to study possible expansion of the football playoffs and possible revisions in the football playoff structure to diminish the sport's impact on conference alignment. This committee will be composed of the current football advisory committee along with seven others to be selected to represent each of the IHSA's seven administrative divisions.

  2. Adopted a resolution authorizing use of bonding options available to IHSA for the renovation of the IHSA Office building and other capital improvements associated with the program. The renovation project was recommended by the strategic planning action team, and the concept was previously approved by the Board.

  3. Authorized the Executive Director to finalize a design-build contract for the expansion of the IHSA Office facilities with Felmley-Dickerson Co.

  4. Authorized the Association's purchase of approximately 22,000 square feet of Sport Court flooring. The portable flooring system will accommodate the equivalent of five basketball courts. It will be used in the annual March Madness Experience in the Peoria Civic Center and can be used by the Association at other events where portable flooring would be necessary. The flooring will be made available for rent to member schools and other authorized organizations when not in use for IHSA events. Details of the rental procedure are still to be determined.

  5. Authorized the Association's purchase of computer interactive software from Cornerstone Inc. of St. Louis which will provide IHSA the capacity to develop applications to handle coach's ratings of officials, special reports, surveys, rules meeting attendance reports and other functions via the IHSA Web Site. The software will allow IHSA to open the door to two-way Internet communication.

  6. Authorized development of a plan to secure sponsors for the various pages on the IHSA Web Site. The Board will determine how any revenues generated by this concept will be expended at a future meeting. It was reported to the Board that Administrative Specialist Jeff Creek would be responsible for implementing the concept. Contacts regarding the three-tier program should be directed by him at the IHSA Office.

Eligibility Decisions

  1. Sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student is ineligible for the 1998-99 school term at Shelbyville for noncompliance with the transfer by-laws. The student is a transfer student from Cowden-Herrick who is not residing in the new district with both of his parents, but with his mother who is not his court appointed custodial parent.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain agenda items which the Board discusses but upon which it takes no action. Following is a report of those on the December, 1998, agenda:

  1. Volleyball Sectional Complex Survey: The Board received the report of the responses to its satisfaction survey, and of how the survey results impacted the overall recommendations of the Volleyball Advisory Committee scheduled to come to the Board at a future meeting.

  2. Football Mega-Conferences: The Board discussed general ramifications regarding scheduling, breach of contract, and the football playoff point system that may need to be addressed with the formation of mega-conferences. Issues raised will be reviewed by the Board at the appropriate time.

  3. Town Meeting Review: The Board heard a report from a sub-committee of the Legislative Commission regarding ways and means to increase attendance at and participation in the annual Town Meetings conducted each November between the first and last sessions of the Legislative Commission.

  4. Annual Referendum: The Board heard a report of the action taken by the Legislative Commission on the proposals to change the IHSA Constitution and By-laws which were before it this November. There are three proposals submitted by the Legislative Commission to the full membership on the annual referendum ballot. Member schools have until Dec. 15, 1998, to return the ballots to the IHSA Office.