FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2002
Board votes to include 12th grade for classifying schools
GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Activities Association Board of Directors today approved a recommendation to use the combined population in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grades to classify schools for state series competition.
For the last classification cycle, student populations in ninth, tenth and 11th grades combined were used to classify schools. News media generally report the total student population in grades nine through 12, confusing the general public and some school personnel, who erroneously believe that schools are larger than they really are and, therefore should be in a higher classification that the one they've been assigned by the FHSAA.
"We've tried different approaches the last couple of classification cycles," said Commissioner Robert W. Hughes. "Simplifying the process will go a long way toward lessening confusion and problems that result down the road."
The approved recommendation also discontinues the requirement for schools to include in their population reports all alternative students who might be permitted to represent their home-zoned schools in interscholastic competition. The policy, which allows for the collection of student population reports directly from member public schools rather than district school board offices, stipulates that the FHSAA may audit the student population report filed by any member school if it has reason to believe the report is incorrect.
In other action, the Board of Directors:
• Gave final approval to a $3.14 million operating budget for the 2002-03 school year.
• Approved a recommendation of the Baseball Advisory Committee to reduce the wait for moving from junior varsity to varsity, and vice versa, to the next day.
• Tabled a recommendation of the Softball Advisory Committee to move the first date of practice for the 2003 season to coincide with the first date of practice for baseball, January 20, 2003.
• Approved the following recommendations of the Tennis Advisory Committee: to not require all players with less than a full team to play in the Division 1 singles draw at the district tournament, and any school with less than a full team will not be eligible for a team title; to implement an FHSAA-sponsored rules meeting for head tennis coaches, as is required for most other sports; and to provide a copy of the USTA "Friend At Court" rules book, in addition to the FHSAA Tennis Manual, to schools sponsoring tennis.
• Approved the following recommendations of the Track & Field Advisory Committee: to require district and regional meet hosts to make meet results available in writing to each participating school within 48 hours of completion of competition; to change the whistle start for all competition to a verbal command as per National Federation rules; to bid regional meet sites to host schools with metric facilities first, if all other qualifications are equal; and to survey member schools to gauge interest in re-establishing competition in the heptathlon and decathlon.
• Approved recommendations for the sport of boys weightlifting to implement qualifying meets during Weeks 38 and 40 of the season and require a uniform consisting of a singlet, effective with the 2003-04 school year.
The Board of Directors also discussed three proposals submitted by the Commissioner and one proposal by the Athletic Directors Advisory Committee to reduce contest limitations and look at a comprehensive revision to the FHSAA sports calendar.
The Florida High School Activities Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.
The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is Nov. 24-25, 2002 at the FHSAA Headquarters in Gainesville.
Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
