State lawmakers told LHSAA officials they are not fans of the public-private school split playoffs in high school sports, and they would like to see a one-time transfer rule adopted. In many cases, a high school student that transfers to another school must sit out for a year to regain eligibility. Thibodaux Representative Bryan Fontenot says with school choice options expanding, students should not be penalized.
” You’re a starting quarterback at Thibodaux High, but you cannot go to Vandebilt or E.D. White to play. You’ve got to sit out one year. That kid is going to suffer in his academics, because he’s forced to stay there because your rules do not let him move across town,” Fontenot said.
Thibodaux made the comments at the first meeting of a legislative committee formed to review LHSAA policies and practices. LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine told the panel high school principals recently overwhelmingly voted down a one-time transfer rule.
Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh told Bonine the split playoffs are bad for high school sports, because it awards too many championship teams and waters down the value of a state title.
“If we dumb it down so that we’re going to reward everybody, I think we’re doing a great disservice to the kids, to the schools, and to the system itself,” Seabaugh said.
Bonine says he’s not a favor the split either, but it’s the high school principals who voted for the split several years ago and there’s not enough support to have private and public schools compete for the same championship.
“It falls on me at the end of the day to be a teacher, which is where I came from 39 years ago, and educate on why we need to do and why we need to make the change, which is what I thought I had to support to do when I showed up in your state in 2015,” Bonine said.
Bonine says the LHSAA looks forward to continued participation in the legislative study and will continue to clarify policies, share data and support efforts that benefit Louisiana’s student-athletes.
