Bill would shift high school transfer eligibility decisions

(The Center Square) – The Illinois High School Association has concerns about new legislation that would allow decisions about transfer students' athletic eligibility to be made by schools.

House Bill 5808 would require the IHSA to allow high school student athletes to transfer with full eligibility if principals from both the sending and receiving schools provide written consent.

Illinois High School Association Executive Director Craig Anderson said he did not hear from state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, before she filed the bill on August 25th.

"It would be quite a difference from our current policy and residence and transfer bylaws that kind of dictate whether transfer students are eligible," Anderson told The Center Square.

Currently, the IHSA makes decisions about transfer student eligibility, but families can appeal rulings they find unfavorable.

"When the Board makes their decision and if it again is not favorable for the student, then potentially those could turn into a family deciding to file a [temporary restraining order]," Anderson said.

Anderson said Yang Rohr's bill came as a bit of a surprise, although this is the time of year when the ISHA receives a significant number of requests for transfer eligibility rulings.

"We're aware that students aren't meeting the transfer bylaw when they transfer, so we're getting some appeals to those decisions," Anderson said.

Anderson said the bill puts pressure on principals to make decisions about transfers.

"Now they're the ones who are establishing the guidance of transfer students and making those ultimate decisions, which we believe should be based upon the rules that the membership has agreed to," Anderson said.

The Illinois General Assembly could consider HB 5808 during fall veto session from Nov. 17-19 and Dec. 1-3.