Columbia – From the next school year, all high school athletes who change schools in South Carolina could immediately play ball for their new team.
This potential game changer in the rules governing college and secondary sports is due to a single sentence in the law on state vouchers in 2023 which did not attract a lot of attention – that is, -Dit until the senators opened this session debate a bill designed to restore what the State the Supreme Court was struck: K-12 scholarships for private tuition fees.
During a subcommittee audience on the bill, the head of the Senate minority, Brad Hutto, wondered how a dropout rule for Athlete students receiving state aid could be abused. This exception is not new in the bill, he was informed. It is already the law of the state.
And that’s. However, it’s so new and went so unnoticed, the situation has not arrived. At least, not that Jerome Singleton, commissioner of the South Carolina Secondary League, knows.
‘No other option’
The part of the law of the State in 2023 in question – which was not affected by the decision of the High Court – indicates that any recipient of scholarships which transfers from a public school to another public school is exempt from Secondary league rules which force most of the athlete students to sit for a calendar year after the transfer.
Although the right law specifically refers to students who use state aid to transfer to another public school in another district – a still elongated use of the scholarship – it will probably force the League to modify its transfer rules For all athletes, said Singleton SC Gazette Quotidien.
“If we were going to be consistent, we would not have any other option,” said the head of the independent and paid organization who establishes and oversees the competition rules for colleges and participating, public and private high schools.
Between 3,500 and 4,000 athlete students from League schools transfer each year, said Singleton.
The Lycée League Legislative assembly – Composed of school delegates on the state level – could change its statutes in March to make the rules in the same way for everyone. If this is not the case, this would mean that there are essentially two sets of rules for students who transfer, which, according to Singleton, will cause problems.
“And those who are not transferred under this?” He asked.
The bill approved by senators Thursday would add a limitation to transfers. Students using state scholarships would be exempt from the expectation of a year only once, which allows them to play immediately for their new school, but not to jump in other schools and to continue to S ‘ Acknowledge.
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Under the modification offered by the President of Education in the Senate, Greg Hembee, any move after this one, the transfer without penalty could be sanctioned by the League.
The head of the majority of the Senate, Shane Massey, tried without success on Wednesday to simply remove the exception of students from the Bon program.
“This would treat students from other students’ scholarships differently,” and it is not true, “said Republican Edgefield.
Senator Russell OTT, ds. Matthews agreed, affirming that this still complicates rules which are already notoriously disputed.
“We are again creating a subset of students and athletes who can access this and go to play immediately,” said the first-year senator.
“A recruitment tool”
While noting that it was in conflict to make the student in the scholarship program, Massey said that he feared that recruiters abuse the exemption from constituting a winning team, to swing athletes to transfer fair For sports – and do it with the help of the state.
Below Invoice approved ThursdayThe amount of the scholarship would be equivalent to 90% of the average that the State sends to the districts per student. For the next school year, this means about $ 7,700 each for up to 10,000 students. Next year, the ceiling is 15,000 students.
The eligible expenses include tuition fees, tutoring, textbooks and – for public school transfers – School districts of costs can invoice to compensate for non -remunerated local property taxes.
“If coaches or unscrupulous people identify a flaw that could allow them to recruit people, they get a scholarship and they spend $ 500 for tutoring,” said Massey. “This could be a recruitment tool.”
Senator Chip Campsese was the most vocal supporter of the immediate disposition of eligibility. He described the bill as “white knight” for a child in a faulty school. The inability to immediately do sports in a new school could prevent students who could benefit from a scholarship from applying, especially if they hope to play sports at university, he said.
“I think it would be an obstacle for many students. It would be for me, “said the republican of the island of Palms, noting that he practiced a lot of sports in high school and college.
Campsen said that he did not doubt that the rule was exploited, but legislators should not assume that it will be widespread.
“We swing this in front of these children in schools that do not suit them,” he said. “We cannot assume that their motivation to go to the best school is:” You are a big quarter and we want you in our football team. “”
Where the two Republicans have agreed is that they do not want to create a culture where athletes use the scholarship to exclusively change schools for athletics. They do not want to do for secondary athletics what happened in university sports after the NCAA has changed shooting transfer restrictions and allowed students-athletes to take advantage of their success by marketing their name, their image and their resemblance.
“They roughly ruined university football,” said Campsese.
HEMBREE, the main sponsor of the bill, offered its unique exception rule as common ground.
“If they try to play the system in both directions, in both directions, this is what it tries to prevent,” said the republican of the small river, noting that the Lycée League already allows exceptions to his own rule.
More than a dozen qualification exceptions include a student who moves to a house in a new school area or is placed with foster family.
“Right now, it’s a short patchwork,” said Hembree.
“It is not a beautiful courtyard,” said Senator Ronnie Sabb de Greeleyville, who was among all the Democrats in the Chamber, finally voting against the bill.
Other potential changes
Other legislative proposals would force the high school league, which frequently attracts the wrath of the legislatorsTo modify its transfer rule whatever the law on good.
They include a bill sponsored by HEMBENE which would create two five-day windows in January and August where students-athletes can move schools without being penalized. A student who transfers any other moment would not be eligible to participate in school sports for 90 days.
The president of education in the House, Shannon Erickson, told SC Daily Gazette that her committee would probably attack various problems relating to high school sports, including the transfer penalty.
“We are trying to promote inscriptions where children must learn best,” said Beaufort’s Republican. “It seems counter-intuitive that we are not going to help them with their sports at the same time.”
Transfer exceptions
The following exceptions are authorized to the rule of the South Carolina Secondary League according to which athlete students must sit a year after the transfer:
- Change of residence in a new school area.
- The student established a residence with a person other than a parent before registration in seventh year and this residence is not broken. The student is authorized for a unique movement with a biological parent and has immediate eligibility
- A student transfers to a school of the same district where they are currently eligible, or in a district school where their family lives at the start of the ninth year
- The student transfers from a non-free school to a member school.
- A student who enters a loving school or an international baccalaureate program in his district will have a punctual move to school and back. Students entering the Magnet program must do so in ninth year.
- The parents of a student separate.
- A student is placed in an orphanage or a host home.
- The student lives elsewhere because parents live outside the United States.
- If both parents die, the student becomes eligible after the legal supervision documents are deposited in court.
- A student is moved to the district for a handicap.
- The possibility of frequenting a vocational school exists and the transfer is made at the end of the eighth year.
- The directors and the Superintendent approve an intra-destrict transfer. The student cannot have participated in sports during the calendar year.
- A transfer under the McKinney-Vento law, a law which guarantees that homeless children have access to a good education.
Source: SC High School League 2024-25.