This district will follow all current and subsequent eligibility requirements for participation in interscholastic activities, as set forth by the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA). All students wishing to participate in any interscholastic activity must meet the eligibility requirements for that activity, as established by IHSAA. Aberdeen School District requires all participants to meet the following requirements to participate:
A. Must be enrolled in a minimum of six semester classes,
B. Receive credit in all classes and maintain a 2.0 GPA for the grading period prior to the beginning of the activity. Students who do not receive credit in all classes and maintain a 2.0 GPA will be placed on academic probation. A student on academic probation will be able to practice and travel with the team but not be eligible to play and be subject to grade checks every three weeks. Students will have three, three week grade checks to become eligible. A student will remain on academic probation the entire season and be subject to grade checks every three weeks. At the end of each three week grade period, grades will be checked for eligibility. Students who are eligible will be able to fully participate in athletics. Students who are still not eligible will have two more opportunities to become eligible. Late work will be graded by the teacher at the teacher’s earliest opportunity. The beginning of the first three week grade check will be the first day of school.
C. Students who transfer from another school who are not aware of the eligibility policy will have a semester grace period before they become subject to Aberdeen School District’s policy.
D. A student becomes ineligible for athletics upon completion of the sport season in which he or she turns 20 years of age.
E. Is entitled to athletic eligibility, providing all other eligibility requirements are met, for eight consecutive semesters after the student enrolls in the ninth grade. The semesters of eligibility continue to be spent even though a student might not participate every semester.
F. Must comply with IHSAA by-laws in all cases of eligibility transfer, physical examinations, insurance coverage, starting dates, use of school equipment, etc. Each coach has the prime responsibility to know and inform team members and parents, of school and IHSAA regulations.
TRAINING AND PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
Coaches and/or advisors are expected to set reasonable standards for continued eligibility, including, but not limited to, training and other participation requirements, academic performance, and sportsmanship. Such standards will be in writing and distributed to the students at the beginning of the sports season or enrollment period. Student participants in all extracurricular activities are expected to comply with such requirements. Coaches and/or advisors may suspend students from participating in interscholastic activities for failing to comply with training and participation requirements. Students may also be subject to school disciplinary action where appropriate.
Transgender Student Participation
A transgender student, defined as a student whose gender identity differs from the student’s assigned birth gender, will be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics that is consistent with the student’s gender identity, under the following conditions:
1. A female-to-male transgender student athlete who is taking a medically prescribed hormone treatment under a physician’s care for the purposes of gender transition may participate only on a boys’ team.
2. A male-to-female transgender student athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate only on a boys’ team.
3. A male-to-female transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed hormone treatment under a physician’s care for the purposes of gender transition may participate on a boys’ team at any time, but must complete one year of hormone treatment related to the gender transition before competing on a girls’ team.
Process
A student athlete who has completed, plans to initiate, or is in the process of taking hormones under a physician’s care as part of a gender transition will submit the request to participate on a sports team to the administration of the student’s school and to the IHSAA. The request will include a letter from the student’s physician documenting the student’s intention to transition or the student’s transition status if the process has already been initiated. This letter will identify the prescribed hormonal treatment for the student’s gender transition and the date the hormone treatment was initiated. The Executive Director will make a determination whether the student is eligible to compete under the above criteria.
Once the transgender student has been granted eligibility to participate in the sport consistent with his/her gender identity, the eligibility is granted for the duration of the student’s participation and does not need to be renewed every sports season or school year.
Once the transgender student selects the gender or the team on which the student wishes to participate, the student thereafter must consistently participate on teams of that gender in all sports for the duration of their high school career.
Appeals
The decision of the Executive Director may be appealed to the Eligibility Committee. The decision of the Eligibility Committee may be appealed to the IHSAA Board of Directors for a review and hearing.
Confidentiality
All discussions among involved parties and the required written supporting documentation will be kept confidential.
PROHIBITION AGAINST THE POSSESSION OR USE OF ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
Students are prohibited from possessing, using, being under the influence of, or distributing tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and/or paraphernalia (see Policy No. 551, Student Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Use). Any student participating in interscholastic activities who tests positive for drugs will be suspended from participation in interscholastic activities as set forth in Policy No. 578, Drug and Alcohol Testing of Students Participating in Extracurricular Activities.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Section 33-512(12) – Governance of Schools
Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA), 2014-15 Rules and Regulations Manual
ADOPTED: November 15, 2017
AMENDED: