WVSSAC Board of Control adopts new transfer rule
Following the signing of Governor Patrick Morrissey’s legislation repealing the state’s transfer rule, the WVSSAC Board of Control has announced a new transfer rule to govern high school athletics in West Virginia.
The repeal cleared the way for the WVSSAC to promulgate transfer guidelines through its established rule-making process. The Board of Control voted 147-0 to approve a rule that preserves school choice for students and families while providing structure to support competitive balance among member schools.
Under the new rule, a student is eligible for a one-time transfer during the ninth or tenth grade with immediate eligibility, provided the transfer is completed on or before September 1. A student who transfers during an active sports season retains immediate eligibility in all sports except the sport in which the student has already participated that season.
The rule also establishes a transfer-back provision. A student in ninth, tenth or eleventh grade is entitled to one transfer back to a member school within the attendance zone where the student’s parents reside, provided it is the home school originally identified at the time of the initial out-of-zone enrollment. Immediate eligibility applies if the transfer is completed by September. 1. Students seeking transfers outside the scope of this rule may file for a waiver with the WVSSAC Board of Directors.
“Once again, we are very grateful for the support of our legislature and the governor throughout this entire process,” said Wayne Ryan, WVSSAC Executive Director. “We appreciate their trust in the WVSSAC and its member schools on this matter.”
The complete, unabridged rule reads as follows:
7.2.a. In addition to those transfers permitted by any other rule, a student shall be eligible for a one-time transfer during 9th or 10th grades, subject to below, and shall retain their immediate eligibility following the transfer. Eligibility will be granted immediately if the transfer is completed on or before September 1. This also applies to Hope Scholars, homeschool students, micro school students, learning pod students, and charter public school students. When the transfer occurs during a season in which the student has participated in any capacity within a WVSSAC established sports season as set forth and published by the WVSSAC Standardized Calendar for the applicable academic year, at any previous secondary school, the student will be eligible for all sports except for that sport. Any transfer made outside the scope of this rule may file for a waiver with the WVSSAC Board of Directors as permitted by these rules.
7.2.a.1. Transfer Back.
A student in the 9th ,10th, or 11th grades, subject to below; will be entitled to one transfer back from a school located outside of their attendance zone where the student resides into a member school located within the attendance zone where the student’s parents reside. The school must be the “home” school originally identified or selected as the “home” school in the initial enrollment in the out of attendance zone school. Eligibility will be granted immediately if the transfer is on or before September 1, subject to below.
If the transfer occurs during the remainder of the academic year the student will be ineligible for the remainder of that academic year and will gain eligibility after the end of that academic year, providing they meet the specified GPA requirements. If the transfer back occurs on or before September 1 of that academic year in which the student has participated in any capacity within a WVSSAC established sports season as set forth and published by the WVSSAC standardized academic calendar, at the previous school, the student will be eligible for all sports except for that sport. Any transfer made outside the scope of this rule may have the ability to file an appeal for a waiver with the WVSSAC Board of Directors as permitted by these rules.
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