FHSAA Board of Directors meeting approves policy changes among other action items

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association held its last Board of Directors meeting for the 2014-2015 school year this morning which saw the approval of many policy changes that can be found here.

However, several of the policies that were pulled for topic and discussion includes changes to Policy 12 (12.4.2.1) which made changes of how student population counts are handled by each individual sport as some member schools offer sports like basketball and volleyball, but don’t offer baseball or softball. The change, which was approved by the board will add a ninth classification, creating a Class 9A, which according to FHSAA will help reduced the wide gaps in enrollment allowing schools more similar in size to be competing each other in district play.

The changes for baseball and softball will go in effect for the 2015-2016 school year while boys and girls basketball as well as volleyball will see the addition of Class 9A come into effect for 2016-2017 school year.

For football, there is discussion about adding a Class 9A, but will hinge on a survey of the existing independent member schools if they would indeed rejoin district play. A survey will be sent out in September to those member schools seeking input about this. As it stands, most of the independent member schools are member of an independent conference. The earliest the addition of Class 9A could be added in football would come in the 2016-2017 school year.

A change to Policy 13 (Policy 13.2.2.5) for handling district setup, is the allowing the creating of sub-districts. Some sports will be able to take advantage of this come the fall for spring sports in the 2015-2016 school year, but football could start using the subdistrict process as early as 2016-2017. Teams would be allowed only to play the teams of the sub-district as along as both sub-districts are represented the district tournaments (or football could be a district championship game).

Other items discussed and voted on by The Board of Directors:

– Oakleaf head football coach Derek Chipoletti was honored as the NFHS Tackle Football Coach of the Year for Florida.

– The Board of Directors approved Florida’s participation once again in the State Champions Bowl Series, which started last year. FHSAA Executive Director Dr. Roger Dearing stated that six other states have joined in for the series which launched with only Florida, Utah and Washington state last year.

– Set the Tentative Budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year which will include an increase of a possible legal showdown with the Florida legislature should similar legislation come to light in the next session in 2016. Also was a mention of the schools fees continuing to be reduced while corporate sponsorship dollars have increased, something Dr. Dearing wanted to carry out since becoming Executive Director back in 2008.

– Approved the continuation of member schools for membership for the 2015-2016 school year as well as move provisional members into first time status. A handful of new schools were also approved for first-time membership as well.

– Ratified the elections of the Board of Directors, Sectional Appeals Committee as well ratify the appoints to the Board of Directors from Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, including naming her designated appointee to take her seat on the board.

– Elected Fort Myers High Principal David LaRosa who represents Section 3 Public Schools as the President-Elect for the 2016-2017 school year.

– Mark Marsala, Athletic Director at Seacrest Country Day in Naples officially took over as President of the FHSAA Board of Directors at the end of the meeting. He replaces the departing James Colzie, who is retiring. Marsala’s first official day as the FHSAA Board of Directors President will take effect on July 1.