UIL Eligibility Meeting – January 16, 2013
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Why are we here?
o To review and possibly recommend changes to HEB’s UIL eligibility policy. Specifically,
we are considering the UIL eligibility status of secondary athletic and fine art students
who move from one HEB school to another HEB school.
What to know about UIL:
o UIL does not allow students to move for “athletic reasons”! Nor does HEB!
o UIL relies on the Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) to determine whether a
student changed schools for athletic reasons. The PAPF is completed by the student,
parent, new school, and former school.
o UIL allows local districts to make policies that are more stringent than UIL’s policies.
Transfer vs. Move:
o Intra-district transfer student:
 The student lives in attendance zone A but moves from that school to the school
in attendance zone B. The family does not physically move (change residences).
o Student who physically moves (changes residences):
 The student’s family moves from their residence in attendance zone A to a
residence in attendance zone B, so the student moves from school A to school B.
What are the current policies governing a transfer and a move?
INTRA-DISTRICT TRANSFER
STUDENT
STUDENT WHO PHYSICALLY
MOVES (CHANGES RESIDENCES)
AND ELECTS TO CHANGE
SCHOOLS
INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER
STUDENT (STUDENT LIVES
OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT BUT
ATTENDS AN HEB SCHOOL)
UIL POLICY
Ineligible for varsity competition
for 365 days unless UIL approves
residency waiver. Eligible for
sub-varsity immediately. A
return to home school is allowed
for sub-varsity participation.
*Schools of Choice
With a clear PAPF, the student is
varsity eligible if student has
been in regular attendance since
the sixth class day. If not,
student is eligible on the
fifteenth day of attendance.
Eligible for sub-varsity
immediately.
Ineligible for varsity competition
for 365 days unless UIL approves
residency waiver. Eligible for
sub-varsity immediately. Return
to home school is allowed.
*Schools of Choice and IB
HEB POLICY
Ineligible for UIL competition
for 365 days. Can practice but
can’t participate in any varsity
or sub-varsity UIL sanctioned
event. Same for return to home
school.
*Schools of Choice
Follow UIL policy.
Follow UIL Policy.
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Schools of Choice
o Secondary Programs:
 Orchestra
 Asian Languages
 International Baccalaureate
o UIL typically approves residency waivers to intra-district transfer students for
participation in Schools of Choice programs if transfer and entry into the program was
“at first opportunity”, but not always!
o HEB typically allows intra-district transfer students immediate eligibility when
transferring for participation in Schools of Choice programs if transfer and entry into the
program was “at first opportunity”.
o UIL typically approves residency waivers to inter-district transfer students for
participation in Schools of Choice programs and International Baccalaureate if transfer
and entry into the program was “at first opportunity”, but not always!
What problem needs to be solved?
o It’s possible that we’ve had students “play the system” and change schools for “athletic
reasons”, though it’s difficult to prove.
 Recent example:
 A student attended Trinity feeder schools growing up and Trinity High
School as a sophomore. During the summer before his junior year, the
student moved (changed residences and schools) to Bell for “family
reasons”. The Monday after Trinity was eliminated from the playoffs,
the student moved (changed residences) back to Trinity.
o Did the family issues suddenly clear up the day after football
season? We don’t know, but it’s at least a possibility that the
student moved to Bell, and back to Trinity, for “athletic
reasons”. Would a more stringent policy deter this from
happening?
Why would a student want to change schools?
o Schools of Choice
o Friends
o To play a specific position
o Perceived playing time or rank in organization
o Perceived potential of the team or organization
o Conflict with a coach/director/teacher/administrator
o “Best for the family”
o Believe it’s their choice and legal
What makes it easy for a student to move (change residences)?
o Rent or lease agreement rather than a mortgage
o Family or extended family lives in the other attendance zone
o “Homeless” designation
Some other things to consider?
o Transportation
 HEB does not provide bus transportation for Schools of Choice students or intradistrict transfer students.
o
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Central Junior High
 Split school. Some Central students feed to Bell; some Central students feed to
Trinity.
 Per UIL rules, an intra-district or inter-district Central transfer student is ineligible
for varsity his/her first year at the high school campus because Central “splits”. The
reason UIL gives is, Central is not an exclusive feeder to either high school, so the
change of campus makes the transfer student ineligible for varsity for 365 days.
What do other districts do?
Abilene
Arlington
Birdville
Burleson
Carrolton-Farmer’s Branch
Crowley
Denton
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw
Ector County
Forney
Frisco
Garland
Grand Prairie
Grapevine-Colleyville
Irving
Keller
Lewisville
Lubbock
Mansfield
McKinney
Mesquite
Midland
Northwest
Plano
Richardson
Tyler
Wylie
Eligibility is established in the 8th grade according to residence at that time regardless
of future transfers or moves (changes of residence). District does not provide
transportation for a student attending school outside of student’s attendance zone.
UIL
Open enrollment. A student who changes high schools for any reason is ineligible for
varsity competition for one year.
UIL
UIL
UIL
If problems with PAPF Section III, it goes to the DEC. If DEC rules that the student
moved for athletic reasons, the student is ineligible for varsity competition for two
years. One year to satisfy UIL and one year per local policy. The local year must be
student’s junior or senior year. The student is eligible for sub-varsity. Transportation
is not provided for intra-district transfers.
If a student moves within the district (changes residences) to another attendance
zone, student must change schools.
UIL
UIL
UIL
Open enrollment. A student who changes high schools for any reason is ineligible for
varsity competition for one year.
UIL
UIL
UIL
All intra-district transfers including return to home school are ineligible for varsity
competition for one year.
If a student moves, the student can stay at the old school and remain varsity eligible or
move to the new school and lose one year of varsity eligibility.
Concerning intra-district transfers, where a student has their first practice in the 7th
grade determines where they are eligible for their career; however, if the student
actually moves (changes residences), UIL policy is followed. Concerning magnet
school, student must transfer at first opportunity or lose one year of varsity eligibility.
For intra-district transfers, bus transportation is provided for school but not athletics.
UIL
UIL
UIL
If there is any suspicion that the student moved for athletic reasons, the AD and four
athletic coordinators meet and decide. MISD determines “athletic reasons”, not the
DEC. The vote has to be unanimous. If student is found to have moved for athletic
reasons, student is denied varsity eligibility for one year. Student receives an athletic
transfer form explaining the policy prior to a transfer being approved.
UIL
If student moves (changes residences), UIL policy is followed. If the student chooses to
stay at original school after he/she moves, the student loses one year of varsity
eligibility. Student can play sub-varsity.
UIL
UIL
UIL
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Are we satisfied with our current policy?
o If not, why not?
Possible Solution:
o Strengthen HEB’s “move” (change of residence) policy to match HEB’s intra-district
transfer policy. The result would be:
 If a student changes schools for any reason, the student is ineligible for UIL
competition for 365 days. Student can practice but can’t participate in any
varsity or sub-varsity UIL sanctioned event. Same for return to home school.
 What grade would this first apply to students?
 Consider additional penalty if student is found to have changed schools for
“athletic reasons”.
 What would the additional penalty be?
 Who determines if student changed schools for “athletic reasons”?
o DEC?
o HEB panel?
 Is a two-year penalty too much?
Would Abilene’s policy of “declaring” in junior high based on residence at that time work in
HEB?
o Declare in what grade?
Important questions:
o Is the policy we adopt something that the administration and School Board can support?
 What about the sad story?
 What about the legitimate reason?
o Will the policy we adopt deter students from changing schools for athletic reasons?
Some things that will help:
o Educate students and parents
 Post the policy in Student Code of Conduct manual.
 Consider adding an overview of the policy and signature line to Code of
Conduct signature page?
 Present policy to parents and students during Student Orientation and/or Open
House.
o Before a student is officially withdrawn from an HEB secondary school, require that the
student and parent(s) sign a document stating that they understand the consequences,
relative to UIL eligibility, of transferring/moving from one HEB secondary school to
another HEB secondary school.