SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 718 as introduced 10-5-95:

The bill would amend the School Code’s provisions pertaining to the official association of the State established to organize and conduct athletic events and contests among schools to do the following:

-- Permit a public school academy pupil to participate in interscholastic events as a member of a team of a local school of the school district if the academy did not offer a team.

-- Establish eligibility requirements for the participation of an academy pupil.

-- Require the State Board of Education to establish and operate a system for conducting athletic events and establish criteria for pupil eligibility, if the State Board determined the association’s regulations did not comply with the bill.

-- Require the State Board system to be funded by proceeds from admissions fees to interscholastic events.

-- Prohibit a school board or academy board of directors from joining the current athletic association, if the State Board established an athletic system.

Currently, a board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy may join an organization, association, or league that promotes and regulates sport and athletic, oratorical, musical, dramatic, creative arts, or other contests by or between pupils if the organization, association, or league provides in its constitution or bylaws that a representative of the State Board is an ex officio member of its governing body with the same rights and privileges as other members of its governing body. The Code specifies that an association established to organize and conduct athletic events, contests, or tournaments among schools is the official association of the State, and is responsible for the adoption and enforcement of regulations relative to eligibility of pupils in schools for participation in interscholastic athletic events, contests, or tournaments.

Under the bill, this association’s regulations would have to allow a pupil in a public school academy established under the Code to participate in interscholastic athletic events, contests, or tournaments as a member of a team fielded by a school of the school district in which the pupil resided in any sport in which the academy did not offer a team. The eligibility requirements in the regulations for such a pupil would have to allow a pupil’s grade point average, courses taken, and hours of enrollment at the academy to be used to determine eligibility in the pupil’s school district of residence in the same manner as if the pupil were enrolled in similar courses at the pupil’s school district of residence.

If the State Board determined that the association’s regulations did not comply with the above requirements, the State Board would have to establish and operate a system for organizing and conducting athletic events, contests, or tournaments among schools, and would have to establish criteria for pupil eligibility for participation in interscholastic athletic events, contests, or tournaments. The system would have to be funded by proceeds from admissions fees to interscholastic athletic events.

If the State Board established this system, a school board or board of directors of an academy could join the system, but could not join or belong to the official association or allow its schools to participate in events, contests, or tournaments conducted by that association.

MCL 380.1289 & 380.1521 Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have a potential fiscal impact on local school districts, but the local impact would not affect State school aid or a local district’s membership. Any costs associated with allowing a public school academy pupil to participate in interscholastic athletic events would be incurred by the local school district that allowed the pupil to participate. The costs would be funded through the local district’s general operating revenues. No additional State aid payments would be made to either the public school academy or the local school district to pay for the additional costs that could be incurred from allowing a public school academy pupil to participate in interscholastic athletic events.

This bill could generate additional State costs if the State Board of Education established a new athletic system. These costs to the State would be paid from fees provided by user districts and academies. The costs of a new system are indeterminate but, using 1.5 FTEs and spending for contractual services, supplies and materials, it is estimated that the costs could exceed $100,000.

Fiscal Analyst: E. Pratt

J. Carrasco

A. Rich

S9596\S718SA

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.