The following rules govern athletic eligibility of students transferring:
A. A student who has first opted or enrolled and/or turned out for an interscholastic sports activity at a school, in his/her 9th grade year, has established his/her athletic eligibility in that school.
Pursuant to WIAA regulation, a full-time high school student in a private school or public alternative school (SAMI, SOTA, IDEA or Oakland) without athletics shall participate at the resident public school that the student would normally attend.
Out-of-district students optionally enrolled in a Tacoma Public Schools alternative school without athletics ((SAMI, SOTA, IDEA or Oakland), during the window of transfer (8th-9th grade), may apply to participate at a Tacoma Public Schools comprehensive high school. Placement will be determined based on an earnest analysis of several factors, including but not limited to, team roster, coaching, facility, budget, location, and other pertinent considerations.
Requests for an intra-District transfer of athletic eligibility only (from a student’s resident school) will be evaluated by the Director of Athletics and Activities through an intra-District appeal process. For any transfer of athletic eligibility, it must be determined that:
• The transfer is not for athletic reasons;
• Any claim of hardship (WIAA 18.27.0) in which the resident school is involved be first addressed according to District policy.
Requests for intra-District transfer must be submitted in writing to the district director of athletics.
If a transfer of athletic eligibility is granted by the District, the student will be subject to the WIAA transfer eligibility process in order to participate in varsity competition, or may be limited to sub-varsity competition for one calendar year.
B. After registering with and/or attending a high school, a student changing enrollment to/from one school District to another school District or from one Tacoma School District high school to another Tacoma School District high school shall be considered a transferring student. Students transferring to/from another school District or another Tacoma School District high school from/to a Tacoma School District high school will be allowed to participate at the “C” team or Junior Varsity level for one calendar year from the date of enrollment. If, however, a student has established eligibility in his/her primary attendance area school and moves with his/her parent(s)/legal guardian(s) to another attendance area, the student is eligible for varsity competition in his/her new primary attendance area school, if all other eligibility requirements are met.
Appeal Procedures for Transfer Ineligibility
In order to be eligible for varsity competition, transferring students must meet the transferring student requirements as set forth in the WIAA regulation or be granted a waiver under the WIAA regulation. Information can be found with the high school athletic director or by visiting http://www.wiaa.com.
