Athletic Transfer Rules
Students Assigned a Base School (From Board Policy JI – Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics)
The Board believes that students should not be allowed to transfer from school to school for the purpose of participating in athletics. To that end, students will be assigned a “base” school for the purposes of athletic participation. The “base” school will be the student’s school of assignment according to the student’s domicile or administrative assignment as determined by GCS in their ninth-grade year or whenever they first enter GCS schools in high school.
Students who attend schools other than their base schools after the beginning of ninth grade and whose transfers were consistent with administrative procedures (JI-P), will not have a 365-day waiting period from the date of enrollment at the non-base school before they are eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics. Students who attend schools other than their base schools after the beginning of ninth grade and whose transfers are not consistent with administrative procedures (JI-P) will have a 365-day waiting period from the date of enrollment at the non-base school before they are eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics.
Students Assigned a Base School (From Procedure JI-P)
Each student will be assigned a “base” school for their high school career. The “base” school will be the student’s school of assignment according to the student’s domicile or administrative assignment as determined by GCS in their ninth grade year or whenever they first enter GCS in high school. Absent any of the four reasons described below, a student’s “base school” may change one time after initial entry into the ninth grade, without penalty, if the Student has a legitimate, non-athletic reason to change schools as determined by the District Athletic Director (“The Director”). In the event the student disputes the finding of the Director, the Student can appeal to the District Athletic Eligibility Committee (“DAEC”). If the DAEC does not rule in favor of the student, the Student can appeal directly to the GCS Superintendent.
Students who attend schools other than their base schools after the beginning of ninth grade will have a 365-day waiting period from the date of enrollment at the non-base school before they are eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics.
Base schools may change in the event that any of the following occurs:
a. The student is administratively assigned to a new school as a result of an administrative placement (Exceptional Children’s program, English as a Second Language, administrative reassignment to accommodate student safety/well-being etc);
b. The student is administratively transferred to another school for the purpose of enrolling in a recognized program (IB, Academy, etc.) and the student remains in the course of study throughout the student’s time at the new school;
c. The Board imposes an attendance area change; or,
d. The student’s custodial parent or parents who are domiciled in the original attendance zone abandon their domicile in the original school attendance zone (temporary separation of either parent does not change domicile for athletic eligibility purposes) and show[s] sufficient evidence of domicile in the new attendance zone to constitute a change of domicile.
Recognized Programs
Students who enroll in recognized programs at a high school will be allowed to participate in athletics without a waiting period, as their base schools will become the school of assignment as a result of the enrollment in the program. Programs that were established and are recognized by the Board are:
- Andrews Aviation Academy
- Andrews Early College of Health Sciences
- AP Capstone – Western High School
- The Dudley Academy of Education
- The Dudley Academy of Engineering
- The Dudley Academy of Health Sciences
- International Baccalaureate – Grimsley High School
- International Baccalaureate – High Point Central High School
- International Baccalaureate – Page High School
- International Baccalaureate – Smith High School
- The Southern Academy of Agriscience
- The Southern Academy of Education
- The Southern Academy of Medical Sciences
- ROTC
- Spanish Immersion Continuation – Grimsley
Students attending an early/middle college or other school without a sports program who have a bona fide change in residence into another school attendance zone, after having participated in sports at their attendance zone school (base sports school), may request to remain at the school for sports if the student remains enrolled in the early/middle college or other school without a sports program and the administration at the original base sports school is agreeable to allowing the student to remain at the school for sports.
Waiting Period of 365 Days for Transfer to Non-base School
Unless otherwise provided, all students who attend schools other than their base schools during their high school career must wait 365 days prior to participating in athletics at their non-base school.
Additional information is available on the Policies and Administrative Procedures page for the Board of Education.
