High school football transfers: School choice, the portal and more
An ongoing investigation into the eligibility of new additions to Palm Beach Central High's football team has reignited a never-ending conversation about what's become known as the "high school transfer portal."
Five Central transfers — and counting — are at risk of being sidelined for the entire fall sports season or even the school year as the Palm Beach County School District has learned that incoming students "provided invalid residency information."
How did the returning state semifinalists get to where they are as the 2023 season begins? Here's a refresher on how varsity free agency in Florida came to be.
Who hit the transfer portal last season? Former Atlantic WR Kamare Williams returns to Palm Beach County
What's going on with the Broncos? Palm Beach County School District shares grounds for investigation into Central athletes
Havoc hinged to HB 7029
Swapping teams wasn't unheard of before 2016, the year HB 7029 School Choice completely changed the landscape of Florida high school sports. However, it took no time for the Sunshine State to transform into the wild, wild west once the law went into effect on July 1.
So long as a parent or guardian could provide transportation for their student, school boards and charter schools had to adopt plans for "controlled open enrollment." The bill also required the Florida High School Athletic Association bylaws pertaining to residence and transfer to deem students "immediately eligible" to compete in the first high school at which they enroll.
'Why can private schools recruit when public schools can't?'
HB 7029 ruffled feathers pretty much instantaneously. Private schools were granted the option of full membership in the FHSAA or to join by individual sport.
Public schools were allowed the option to apply to join another athletic association, which later resulted in the rising popularity of such conferences as the newly renamed Sunshine State Athletic Association. The conference was designed to accommodate schools whose teams struggle to compete against powerhouses like Chaminade-Madonna, St. Thomas Aquinas or a budding Cardinal Newman, all programs that a number of area public school coaches describe as "recruiting" players for their rosters.
Under FAQs on its website, the FHSAA answers: "Why are private schools allowed to recruit?" The organization maintains that private schools follow the same bylaws, policies and administrative procedures as member public schools.
The FHSAA states that recruiting is "permissible" so long as a school conducts an "academic recruitment program" designed to attract students based upon the school's total educational and extracurricular activities program. The program mustn't be used as a "disguise for athletic recruiting."
Schools aren't permitted to give "athletic scholarships." FHSAA Policy 38 outlines that students qualified for need-based assistance may receive it as determined by one of six FHSAA-approved independent financial needs assessment companies. However, the term "athletic scholarships" doesn't include scholarships schools can provide based on academics or merit.
How do public schools facilitate transfer athletes?
Florida's recruiting scene evolved once again on March 27 when the FHSAA and its members felt the impact of House Bill (HB) 1. The bill increased available school choice options for all the state's students by eliminating financial eligibility restrictions and the current enrollment cap.
As a result of the "significant changes" that would come, the same month, FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon shared HB 225 with membership as a bill of interest, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17.
Twelve changes made are:
Authorizes charter school students, nonmember private school students and FLVS Full-Time Public Program students to participate in extracurricular activities at a private school.
Authorizes traditional public school students to participate at another public school in the same school district or may develop an agreement to participate at a private school in any sport/activity that is not offered by his/her traditional public school.
Revises the requirements related to nonmember private school students.
Authorizes a public school student who is participating in a sport/activity and who transfers to another school, to continue participating in that sport/activity at his/her previous school through the remainder of that school year.
Authorizes any school that joins the FHSAA by sport to be eligible for the State Series in that sport.
Authorizes the commissioner of education to direct the FHSAA to revise its bylaws at any time.
Requires any changes made to the FHSAA bylaws to be ratified by the State Board of Education.
Removes the requirement that appointments to the board of directors reflect the demographic and population trends of the state.
Revises the composition of the board of directors to include 13 members, eight of whom are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The remaining four members will be elected by member schools.
Requires the hiring of the executive director and the budget adopted by the board of directors to be ratified by the State Board of Education.
Reduces authority of the FHSAA Representative Assembly to an advisory committee which will now make legislative recommendations to the board of directors.
Requires the FHSAA to allow participating schools to make open remarks over the PA system at FHSAA State Championship Series events.
Which 'choice' programs do Palm Beach County schools offer?
"In-house" programs are limited to students residing in their school's attendance boundary. "Choice" programs are available to all students regardless of where they live, with "limited exceptions."
Here are the choice academies currently offered by 22 Palm Beach County public schools:
Atlantic: International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Medical Science, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)
Boca Raton: Navy Junior ROTC
Boynton Beach: Aerospace Science (BASA, Dance, Digital Media, Information Technology, Marine Corps JROTC, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine, Music - Band, Music - Vocal, Theater, Visual Arts
Dwyer: Early Childhood Teacher Education, Finance, IBDP
Forest Hill: Army JROTC, Engineering and Technology - Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Environmental Science and Field Research, Information Technology, IBDP, Tourism, Hospitality and Resort Management
Glades Central: Agritechnology, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Engineering and Technology - PLTW, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine
John I. Leonard: Computer Technology, International Spanish Academy (ISA)
Jupiter: Engineering and Technology - PLTW, Environmental Science and Field Research, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine
Lake Worth: 3DE by Junior Achievement, Air Force JROTC, Biomedical Sciences, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Drafting and Design, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine
Olympic Heights: Early Childhood Teacher Education, Engineering and Technology - PLTW, Finance, Marine Corps JROTC, Tourism, Hospitality and Resort Management
Pahokee: Civil Air Patrol, Information Technology, IBDP
Palm Beach Central: Culinary Arts, Engineering and Technology - PLTW, Information Technology
Palm Beach Gardens: Culinary Arts, Global Business and Entrepreneurship, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine, Sports Management and Recreation, Television and Film Production Technology, Tourism, Hospitality and Resort Management
Palm Beach Lakes: Biotechnology, Center for Pre-Law and Law-Related Careers, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Marine Corps JROTC, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine
Park Vista: Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing, Automotive Service Technology
Royal Palm Beach: Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Technology, IBDP, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine, Navy Junior ROTC, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
Santaluces: Band/Music Industry, Culinary Arts, Cybersecurity, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Visual Arts
Seminole Ridge: Army JROTC, Biotechnology, Construction, Television and Film Production Technology
Spanish River: American History & Law, Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship
Suncoast: Computer Science, Innovative Interactive Technology (IIT), IBDP, Math, Science and Engineering (MSE)
Wellington: Equine/Pre-Veterinary, Fine Arts, Fire Science, Marketing
West Boca Raton: Computer Science, Culinary Arts, Dance, Drafting and Design, Medical Sciences - Pre-Medicine, Music - Band, Music - Vocal, Theater
What's next for ineligible athletes?
Should athletes not meet the zoning requirements of their high school or fail to qualify for the choice programs they applied for ahead of the incoming school year, but have already competed in an "athletic activity" at their anticipated campus, those athletes can no longer compete on that team for that sports season per FHSAA eligibility rules. The FHSAA defines "athletic activities" as all school-sponsored activities, including but not limited to, tryouts, conditioning, practices and interscholastic contests, after the official start date for that sports season.
For all fall sports, practices officially began on July 31.
A transfer student who has yet to participate in school-sponsored activities on or after the official start date of their sports season can join another team immediately with ease.
If a transfer athlete does practice and is ruled ineligible thereafter, the student can return to play for their previous school only if they continue to meet "FHSAA eligibility requirements" and "the same standards of acceptance, behavior, and performance which are required of other students participating in the activity, except for enrollment requirements at the school at which the student participates." Transportation for the student to and from the school must also be provided by the parent or guardian, and above all, the student must be registered with the FHSAA Office as a nontraditional student.
If an athlete who participated in school-sponsored activities on or after the official start date at one school seeks to transfer to another school, they can compete on a new team that academic year only under one of the following conditions:
Dependent children of active-duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders.
Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone.
Children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent.
Authorized for good cause in district, private or charter board policy.
What is a 'good cause' policy?
Over time, schools and districts around Florida have adopted Good Cause policies to accommodate students who are seeking to swap teams midseason.
FHSAA Assistant Executive Director Justin Harrison said: "The state statute on good cause allows school districts and school governing boards to create a policy to allow a student-athlete to participate in the sport(s) at another school that the student-athlete participated in already at a previous school during the same school year. The policy should state the reason(s) that would allow the student-athlete to participate in the same sport(s) at the new school."
"A common example is if a student has a full and complete move to a new residence therefore requiring the student to change schools," Harrison said.
Yet, Good Cause policies don't always result in good reactions.
In November 2021, the board of directors for North Bay Haven Charter Academy adopted a Good Cause policy to ultimately give athletes "more flexibility to transfer" to the Panama City school.
When the policy was initially adopted, Bay District Schools sent a letter to NBHCA that December informing the school that its teams would no longer be included in district athletic programs, annual meets, championship tournaments or all-star selection programs. In March 2022, the policy was updated to require student-athletes to enroll within the first 10 school days of the fall semester.
Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville is another that determines the athletic eligibility of same-school-year transfers "based upon good cause" if FHSAA requirements aren't met. The school's handbook states: "A committee comprised of the Vice Principal, Academic Dean, Director of School Counseling, Director of Admissions, and the Director of Athletics will determine the student’s athletic eligibility based upon good cause authority."
The committee makes a recommendation to the school principal regarding the student’s athletic eligibility and a final decision, not subject to review, will be made by the principal.
After a search of board documents, the Palm Beach County School District's public records department "revealed no such policy" exists for the district.
Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida high school football transfers, explained
