| LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE IN NSAA RULES AND REGULATIONS | ||||
| Title: | Student Participation in Activities Outside of Your School | |||
| Author: | Nate Larsen | |||
| School: | ONeill | |||
| NSAA District: | 3 | |||
| Proposal for: | Constitution & Bylaws | |||
| Classes Affected: | All | |||
| Activities Affected: | All | |||
| This proposal: | WILL increase costs to the school WILL NOT increase costs to the NSAA WILL NOT increase travel for participating schools WILL decrease a student's or coach's instruction time | |||
| Implementation date: | 2027-08-01 | |||
| Sections affected in Constitution & Bylaws: | Page 21 | Article 2.1.1 | Section Student Eligibility | |
| Summary: | This proposal would allow students to remain enrolled at their current school while participating in an NSAA-sanctioned sport or activity at the eligible closest school/district when their enrolled school does not offer that sport or activity.
Participation would be subject to the following conditions: Activity availability: The student’s enrolled school must not offer the requested sport or activity. Eligible neighboring school: The neighboring school must be the closest school/district that directly borders the student’s enrolled school district or is within the same district. One neighboring school: A student may participate at only one neighboring school throughout high school. I.E., a student may not participate in softball at one neighboring school and soccer at another. Also, a student may not change receiving schools from year to year unless the original receiving school stops offering the activity. Neighboring-school approval: The neighboring school has final approval of requests to participate. Cooperative agreement threshold: If a school sends more than 5 students to a neighboring school, an NSAA-approved cooperative agreement must be established. A cooperative agreement must only be in place for the sport or activity where 5+ students participate from the school. Eligibility requirements: Students must meet all applicable NSAA eligibility requirements, except for the specific school-of-participation exception established by this proposal. Students must be on the other school’s roster beginning on the first day of practices for each sport/activity. | |||
| Rationale: | Nebraska Legislative Statutes §79-215(11) and §79-2,136 allow for homeschooled students to participate in a neighboring school if their home district doesn’t offer an activity in which they want to participate. Students should have access to an activity without having to change their educational placement. This proposal would allow students to stay in school at their home district but still participate in an activity their school doesn’t offer without having to transfer or homeschool. Students should not have to change schools or homeschool solely to access a sport or activity that their enrolled school does not offer. The proposal is intended to address situations in which a small number of students want to participate in an activity unavailable at their enrolled school. It would provide an option for individual participation without requiring a full cooperative sponsorship for every small participation request. Context behind this proposal started with a discussion where there was a student from a neighboring district who wanted to play softball for the past couple of years. While a coop could’ve happened, there just weren’t enough students interested to get into a coop. In researching a few other states to see what they do, it was found that a few states have similar laws/acts that allow students to do this. Also for schools that have a sport or activity right now but are unsure of what their numbers will be going into the future to see if they can sustain having the sport or activity, this proposal would give those kids an opportunity to still participate if you no longer offer it without losing them as students, athletes, and participants in other sports and activities. | |||
| Pros: | Expands access to activities that a student’s enrolled school does not offer.
Allows students to remain enrolled at their current school while still participating in an activity of their choosing. Provides an option for small numbers of interested students without requiring a full cooperative sponsorship. Limits students to one neighboring school which discourages movement between schools. Still allows the neighboring school to have full approval authority. Requires a cooperative agreement when participation exceeds the established limit. | |||
| Cons: | Participation may require additional travel and missed instructional time.
Schools would need to coordinate eligibility verification, schedules, transportation arrangements, and student expectations. There may be an increased cost to the neighboring school due to increased participation. | |||