Bill > HB3268

This bill modifies the rules for student transfers and athletic eligibility in West Virginia secondary schools. It gives the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) expanded authority to create and modify rules for student athletic participation. The bill introduces several key changes: students will now be able to transfer schools and retain athletic eligibility, with specific provisions for eighth and ninth-grade students. For example, all eighth-grade students advancing to ninth grade can transfer out of their home district without losing athletic eligibility, and students can transfer back to their home district by June 15th of their ninth or tenth-grade year without penalty. The bill also establishes new academic eligibility criteria for incoming ninth graders, requiring a 2.0 GPA or no failing grades in eighth grade. Additionally, the bill grants the WVSSAC the power to revoke coaching credentials for coaches found guilty of illegally recruiting student athletes. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility for student-athletes while maintaining certain academic and procedural standards for participation in school sports and extracurricular activities.