Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 36, September 6, 2024
Section 127-2-3 - Enrollment and Team Membership3.1. To be eligible for participation in interscholastic athletics,3.1.a. a student must be enrolled full-time in a member school as described in §127-2-6 on or before the 11th instructional day of the academic year and meet all other eligibility rules that apply. Enrollment must be continuous after the student has officially enrolled in the school, or3.1.b. a student must comply with W. Va. Code §18-2-25, section (d), and meet all other eligibility rules that apply, or3.1.c. a student must comply with W. Va. Code §18-2-25, section (e), and meet all other eligibility rules that apply.3.2. Students can participate in interscholastic activities only in schools in which they are enrolled; however, an exception may be granted by the Board of Directors as follows: 3.2.a. if a feeder school does not afford students the opportunity to participate and they are otherwise eligible.3.2.b. for students from the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) to participate at Hampshire High School or Romney Middle School (only in sports not available at WVSDB).3.2.c. Member schools containing grades 6 and/or 7 and/or 8 may combine students from two or more schools within the county or regional area to form one interscholastic team in a sport. Requests for permission to combine students from two or more schools in the same private/parochial or public school system must be submitted annually to the WVSSAC in writing by the superintendent of the private/parochial or public school system. Schools which are combining to form one team must be feeder schools for the same high school, and at least one school must have sufficient numbers for a team. If more than two schools are involved, principals are to evaluate the number of available participants in each school and shall combine schools to provide as many teams as sufficient numbers allow. Sufficient numbers will be defined as the number of a starting line-up plus 50% (for odd number line-ups, round up).3.2.d. Students enrolled in the 9th grade may participate only on high school teams. Sixth grade students of a K-6 elementary feeder school may participate on their middle school team if granted permission by the county board of education or governing body of a private/parochial school and the school principals involved. Members of a 9th grade team at a high school may be grouped for practice with members of the varsity team. However, if a 9th grade student participates in a varsity scrimmage or game, that student becomes ineligible for the 9th grade team. Participation is defined as dressing and being available to play in a game, regardless if the player enters the game.3.2.e. Students at a middle feeder school who are not provided the opportunity to participate because of age may move up to their high school if granted permission by the county board of education or governing body of a private/parochial school and the school principals involved.3.3. A student academically ineligible by rule may begin practicing 15 school days immediately prior to the date of regaining full eligibility provided all other eligibility requirements are met.3.4. Students enrolled in the following grades in member schools will be eligible for middle school participation.3.4.a. Grades 6, 7, and 8 may compete with and against schools/teams of the same configuration.3.4.b. Stand-alone 9th grade programs at a high school may compete with and against schools/teams of the same grade configuration. An 8th grade student not provided the opportunity to participate at their member school because the sport is not offered may choose to participate on a stand-alone 9th grade team at their feeder high school, provided the student is otherwise eligible.3.5. Sixth grade students are eligible to participate in all interscholastic sport teams, including football, in the middle/feeder elementary school in which they are enrolled.3.6. Students who are enrolled in a grade below the 9th are not eligible for a high school team. Students enrolled in a grade below the 6th will not be eligible for a middle school team.3.7. Twelfth grade students will be eligible for spring sports until the close of the school's season.3.8. Schools may sponsor separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill. If a school sponsors a team in a particular sport for members of one sex but sponsors no such team for members of the other sex, and athletic opportunities for members of that sex previously have been limited, members of the excluded sex must be allowed to try out for the team offered. For example, because overall athletic opportunities for females have previously been limited, females will be allowed to try out for baseball, but males will not be allowed to try out for volleyball or softball.3.9. Students enrolled at West Virginia School for the Deaf will be allowed to participate in sports at the West Virginia School for the Blind. Students from the West Virginia School for the Blind will be allowed to participate in sports at the West Virginia School for the Deaf.3.10. Boarding students at member schools, with the exception of students at the WVSDB, are not eligible. (Definition: A boarding student is one who receives room and board that is provided by the school unless such residence is based on Court Order or State Action.)3.11. A homeschooled student receiving home instruction pursuant to W. Va. Code §18-8-1(c), a Hope Scholar, a micro school student, and/or a learning pod student, shall be considered eligible for participating in interscholastic athletic events and other extracurricular activities of the public secondary school serving the attendance zone in which the student resides with their parents or as allowed by §127-2-7.2.e and §127-2-7.2.f who: 3.11.a. has demonstrated satisfactory evidence of academic progress for the immediately preceding academic year (see W. Va. §127CSR3, Provisions Governing Contests, Glossary, for the definition of academic year); as defined by an average stanine of a four or higher in all content areas on a nationally normed assessment;3.11.b. is otherwise eligible to participate as a result of being subject to all other eligibility rules applicable to non-homeschooled students; and3.11.c. has received all vaccinations as required for school attendance by West Virginia state code.3.12. A student attending a member or non-member private school or a charter public school may participate in extracurricular activities in a member school in the attendance area in which the student resides with their parents if the private school or charter public school does not offer the extracurricular activity. The student is required to show evidence of a 2.0 GPA. This provision does not guarantee membership on the team; but rather an opportunity to try out just like all other students.