March 11, 2021 at 8:28 a.m.
WIAA board advances constitutional amendments
WIAA board advances constitutional amendments
The board reviewed and advanced the two amendments to the constitution and one to the bylaws that will be voted on by the membership at the annual meeting rescheduled for May 26, 2021.
Two of the amendments address football deadlines for declaring co-op team configuration and 8-player or 11-player sponsorship status. The first would require all football co-op requests to adhere to an Oct. 15 deadline and adds a board of control interpretation to review football realignment applications on a two-year cycle in even years. The second amendment requires schools to determine sponsorship in either 8-player or 11-player football-only by an Oct. 15 deadline on the same two-year cycle in even years.
The amendment impacting the bylaws would create a penalty for spectators ejected from an interscholastic athletic competition for flagrant harassment or unsporting conduct. Ejected spectators would be required to miss the next competition. Host school administration would be required to record and submit an ejection report to the WIAA.
The board approved an 8-player football plan that impacts the entire state and forms 11 conferences and approved three fast-track applications not football related.
The Board remanded an 11-player football plan that impacts 23 schools back to the conference realignment task force, which will reconvene to re-evaluate the plan and four new proposals on April 6.
Schools directly impacted by any reconsideration or changes to the existing plan will be notified. A plan will be brought back to the board for final consideration at its April 16 meeting.
Additional action items approved by the board are the 2021 spring sports participation COVID-19 guidelines shared with member schools and posted online March 5, the 2021-22 fall cooperative teams and maintaining the membership's three-year probationary status for new member schools to participate in the WIAA's tournament series.
The board set the date and time of its next meeting to be held April 16 at 9 a.m., with the May meeting to be held on May 25 at 2 p.m. The board also authorized moving the date of the Annual Meeting to May 26 in hope of conducting an in-person meeting. A virtual attendance option will also be made available with voting on amendments to be held prior to the meeting.
Following a review of the association's financial information, the board discussed its disaster authority and will consider an emergency assessment of membership-wide fees to sustain operations until unrestricted admission to WIAA Tournament Series events resume. After temporarily suspending membership dues and fees in 2015, the Board permanently eliminated member dues and fees in 2017, with the stipulation of granting the Board "disaster authority" to levy fees in the event of a membership emergency.
After further consideration and discussion, the board anticipates further review prior to voting on a fee. The assessment would accompany each school's annual membership renewal form emailed in June and due no later than Aug. 1, 2021.
Other items shared with the board was a legislative update on the Officials Assault Bill LRB-1335/1 and a Virtual Charter Schools Bill SB-39/AB-62, a bill introduced this week to prohibit transgender females from participating in girls sports, the status of a UW requirement of background checks, a legal update on two pending eligibility-related cases, and a report on the winter season tournaments and the alternate fall season.
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