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PIAA not trying to split public and private schools, but be more strict

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The separation of public and private schools in postseason play is not the focus of the PIAA in creating competitive balance. Rather, the PIAA is taking the approach of making transfer rules more strict and uniform throughout its 12 districts.

The PIAA Legislative Oversight Committee held a public hearing Monday morning in Harrisburg to discuss possible changes. One potential rule that could impact the 2018-19 school year makes a student-athlete ineligible to participate in postseason play that school year if he/she transfers after the start of ninth grade. If passed next month, the rule will be implemented for the upcoming seasons.

The other drastic change being considered is a point-based system with three criteria – enrollment, success factor and athletic transfers – to determine what classification a school falls into and force those that exceed the point limit to move up in classification.

The competition classification formula, which already passed a first reading by the PIAA Board of Directors, will have another reading in July and possibly a third in October. If approved, those changes will begin in the 2021-22 school year.

Lincoln Park, a charter school located in Midland in Beaver County, chooses to play up in classification for basketball.

“We believe (moving up in classification) is fair,” Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park’s boys basketball coach and athletic director, said at the hearing.

“The problem now is there are 12 districts and each district looks at and follows those rules differently. I think if we look at it as a state issue it might alleviate all the issues that we have.”

Bariski didn’t agree with the postseason ineligibility idea, especially after the PIAA board of directors unanimously approved amendments to reduce in-season transfer concerns in April. The two rules, which begin with the 2018-19 sports seasons, are a student-athlete who has participated in at least 50 percent of the maximum regular-season games at his or her school cannot play at their new school for the remainder of the season, and a 21-day ineligibility period for all in-season transfers if the student-athlete practiced or played with their former team.

Those changes, prompted by the ongoing debate of splitting public and private/Catholic/charter schools, was reignited after a girls basketball player transferred late in the season from a school in Virginia to Neumann-Goretti, which won its fourth consecutive PIAA title.

In other business, Bob Lombardi, executive director of the PIAA, asked the oversight committee to support petitioning the Pennsylvania Gaming Board to exclude all high school events.

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