By Keith Groller
A proposal that would attempt to slow the number of transferring student-athletes by making them ineligible for a year is drawing statewide attention.
But even though many local athletic directors admit that transfers are a big issue, several say this proposal has little chance of passing in its current form.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association has proposed that a student-athlete would be automatically ineligible for a year of varsity sports if they transfer after starting ninth grade. However, the transferring student can gain eligibility by meeting one of five exceptions.
•A “bona fide” move by parents, which would exclude renting an apartment in a school district just to play sports there.
•A legal change of custody by a court of common pleas.
•Closure of a school.
•A hardship case, such as bullying or harassment, that would prompt a student and his or her parents to leave a bad situation for a better one.
•A transfer to a residential public school, which means someone transferring from a private school to a public school would be eligible while a student going from a public school to a private school would not.