[T-CATS]

Law makers today have proposed a bill to allow any and all Seniors in High School this year to come back next year and have a somewhat normal Senior year of High School and be eligible to play sports that season too. This could definitely change the balance of power in all sports next season of passed.

[Vols0528]

well very interesting. a law maker trying to do something right. I approve

[TheBear]

You know the Bill #?

[Panthers Dominate]

Law makers today have proposed a bill to allow any and all Seniors in High School this year to come back next year and have a somewhat normal Senior year of High School and be eligible to play sports that season too. This could definitely change the balance of power in all sports next season of passed.

The Bill actually reads that any high school student enrolled in a KY high school in the school year 2020-2021 can request to use 2021-2022 as a supplemental school year. The senate bill number is 128.

[Spud6]

Be interesting to see who takes advantage of this. A lot of great athletic seniors could use it to get even better offers potentially.

[RAMDAD50]

Be interesting to see who takes advantage of this. A lot of great athletic seniors could use it to get even better offers potentially.

And this is why I’m not for it at all. I would really like to know the true intentions on this “bill”. Can a student abolish their senior academic calendar year and try for better test scores? Is this just for sports or to try and better a student’s future? Idk ....my gut tells me this wouldn’t end up good at all

[FootballFan1999]

What’s the bad that could come out of it? As long as they keep the age rule I don’t see any negative to this?

[TheOracle]

What’s the bad that could come out of it? As long as they keep the age rule I don’t see any negative to this?

I'm assuming this means, basically, that this means seniors could come back for a 5th year of high school. Correct?

Negative impact, that means the state has to foot the bill for an extra year of school for a lot of kids. Plus it means the possibility of freshman on the football field with 19 year olds. That's a physical risk. Plus it means schools that are built and staffed to support 4 grade levels are having to fit in extra students that were not accounted for. Any schools that are already shoe-horning kids into classrooms are going to have to potentially plan for an entire additional grade level worth of kids in their building. And they had better hope they're not understaffed. Plus, what classes do students take during their second senior year? Are there enough elective classes for those students to fill a class schedule when they take their high school victory lap?

[RAMDAD50]

What’s the bad that could come out of it? As long as they keep the age rule I don’t see any negative to this?

I'm assuming this means, basically, that this means seniors could come back for a 5th year of high school. Correct?

Negative impact, that means the state has to foot the bill for an extra year of school for a lot of kids. Plus it means the possibility of freshman on the football field with 19 year olds. That's a physical risk. Plus it means schools that are built and staffed to support 4 grade levels are having to fit in extra students that were not accounted for. Any schools that are already shoe-horning kids into classrooms are going to have to potentially plan for an entire additional grade level worth of kids in their building. And they had better hope they're not understaffed. Plus, what classes do students take during their second senior year? Are there enough elective classes for those students to fill a class schedule when they take their high school victory lap?

You gotta keep in mind that most people on this site will only see what advantages their team my get in the field and not the problems it will cause in the class room

[FootballFan1999]

What’s the bad that could come out of it? As long as they keep the age rule I don’t see any negative to this?

I'm assuming this means, basically, that this means seniors could come back for a 5th year of high school. Correct?

Negative impact, that means the state has to foot the bill for an extra year of school for a lot of kids. Plus it means the possibility of freshman on the football field with 19 year olds. That's a physical risk. Plus it means schools that are built and staffed to support 4 grade levels are having to fit in extra students that were not accounted for. Any schools that are already shoe-horning kids into classrooms are going to have to potentially plan for an entire additional grade level worth of kids in their building. And they had better hope they're not understaffed. Plus, what classes do students take during their second senior year? Are there enough elective classes for those students to fill a class schedule when they take their high school victory lap?

States already said they wouldn’t foot the Bill. Freshman are already on the field with 19 year olds. And is there gonna be that many students to hold back where it stresses class size? I think you’ll see some schools start offering virtual classes with the way things have went. A lot of seniors leave at 12 o’clock now a days. They take two classes then either do a work release, college courses, or some sort of student aid.

---

You gotta keep in mind that most people on this site will only see what advantages their team my get in the field and not the problems it will cause in the class room

All I’m thinking about is the athlete. With the transfer portal and the NCAA not counting this year against athletes it’s killing seniors recruitment. A once in a lifetime virus calls for once in a lifetime measures.

[Bull got out!]

I for one would be all for it.

[TheOracle]

What’s the bad that could come out of it? As long as they keep the age rule I don’t see any negative to this?

I'm assuming this means, basically, that this means seniors could come back for a 5th year of high school. Correct?

Negative impact, that means the state has to foot the bill for an extra year of school for a lot of kids. Plus it means the possibility of freshman on the football field with 19 year olds. That's a physical risk. Plus it means schools that are built and staffed to support 4 grade levels are having to fit in extra students that were not accounted for. Any schools that are already shoe-horning kids into classrooms are going to have to potentially plan for an entire additional grade level worth of kids in their building. And they had better hope they're not understaffed. Plus, what classes do students take during their second senior year? Are there enough elective classes for those students to fill a class schedule when they take their high school victory lap?

States already said they wouldn’t foot the Bill. Freshman are already on the field with 19 year olds. And is there gonna be that many students to hold back where it stresses class size? I think you’ll see some schools start offering virtual classes with the way things have went. A lot of seniors leave at 12 o’clock now a days. They take two classes then either do a work release, college courses, or some sort of student aid.

I mis-spoke. Current KHSAA bylaws state "A student who becomes nineteen (19) on or after August 1 shall remain eligible for the entire school year." That means if we add another year, then we're going to have freshmen on the field with 20 year olds. Even more of a risk. Think of having a football player with the physical development of a 20 year old on the same field as a 14 year old, and tell me that's not running a major risk - especially the kind of player who's going through the process of holding back for an entire additional year of high school because they think it gives them a better shot at playing college ball. It's safe to assume that that kind of player is going to be athletically talented, right? So that means older, bigger kids who assumedly have relatively higher-tier athletic talent who are are allowed to pit themselves against youngsters.

And you can't say, "are there going to really be all that many students who hold back" without having a plan in place in case they actually DO. The fact is, they are opening themselves up to the possibility that every single senior in high school can stay on for another year. Of course that won't happen, but what happens if you do have a tiny school district that does happen to have too many players who stay on for a fifth year?

And if there's already a large portion of students who are leaving schools early as seniors, you just helped show that there isn't the curriculum in place in our schools to support an entire additional year of students in high school. So we're literally just paying for kids to have another year of school for the sake of sports. I love high school sports. Love them. But this bill is ridiculous. Is it unfair that some students had their high school athletic careers shafted? Absolutely. But you know what? Life's not fair.

Another thing I didn't bring up in my last post is the free and reduced meal requirements for schools. Schools are going to have to pay to feed a very large number of these kids. There are some high schools in Kentucky that have 85-90% of their students on free and reduced meals. That's another bill we're going to have to fund.....so some kids can play sports.

As for recruiting, I've talked to a lot of recruiters from a lot of colleges. Every one of them said, yeah, recruiting was harder this past year, but they still didn't see any drop in recruitment numbers. Will there be an impact for some of the small colleges out there (who rarely get the opportunity to offer meaningful scholarships to begin with)? Maybe. But I find it hard to believe that there will be any significant drop in the number of kids who are getting full rides and even half rides to colleges to play sports. Colleges WANT to fill their roster spots with scholarship players, and they have people hired who have the job to do exactly that. With AAU leagues and online resources like Hudl and all of the other avenues of recruiting to pass info around, those college recruiters are still getting their jobs done.

[Panthers Dominate]

What has not been said is that this isn’t going to be mandatory. It will be up to each school district to decide if they want to do offer it or not. I can see both sides of the argument but in the end I can’t see that many kids staying back for another year.

[The Outsider]

How about the underclassman who may not ever get the opportunity to contribute or have their chance to shine due to kids ahead of them now coming back for another year?

[Future]

To many unknows. To much potential for inequality in many ways. What happens if the virus flairs up late summer etc and those kids that stayed back still miss a lot of football games. etc.

[FootballFan1999]

They’ve already said the age requirements wouldn’t change. So you’d still have 19 year olds playing varsity football like has always happened.

You’re also not paying for kids to go to school another year, it’s been said the state wouldn’t give extra funding for those kids.

The majority of students who want out of high school will be, but the few that had their recruitment killed would love to have another shot on a normal year. I know multiple student athletes who are being effected currently and it’s costing them lots of scholarship money. If an extra year during a once and a lifetime situation is warranted and given I’m all for it. I don’t think it’ll pass, but due to the kids I know getting shafted I would love to see it passed because if it doesn’t they probably won’t be going to college.

[Orange Blaze]

From a safety standpoint I don’t like it. Most kids graduate at 18 and while you may have a few kids turn 18 during the season, you never have several 18 year olds starting out the season. What do you do when they turn 19 as many if not most will do before the end of the season? These kids have had a whole year of growing and are starting to turn into men by the time they graduate and I don’t really like the idea of putting them out there with 15 and 16 year olds.

[Rip/Spin]

Here is a copy of the Bill if anyone wants to read it.

UNOFFICIAL COPY
Page 1 of 2

1 AN ACT relating to supplementary education and declaring an emergency.
2 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
3 Section 1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on school operations and
4 student learning, notwithstanding any passing grades a high school student may receive
5 during the 2020-2021 school year, any student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school
6 during the 2020-2021 school year may request to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
7 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
8 taken. A high school student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school in grade 12 during
9 the 2020-2021 school year may request the supplemental school year notwithstanding the
10 student satisfying state and district graduation requirements. A retaken course under this
11 section shall not count as an additional credit towards graduation unless the student failed
12 the original course. Retaking a course under this section shall count towards full-time
13 enrollment for the student. A student shall submit the request to the local board of
14 education by June 15, 2021. A local board of education shall not approve or reject
15 requests on an individual basis, but shall determine by June 30, 2021, whether the district
16 shall or shall not accept all requests.
17 Section 2. Any Kentucky nonpublic high school may allow a high school
18 student enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
19 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
20 taken.
21 Section 3. Notwithstanding any rule or regulation of the Kentucky Board of
22 Education or the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, but in compliance with
23 KRS 156.070(2)(f), if a member school provides evidence to the Kentucky High School
24 Athletic Association documenting a student as utilizing the 2021-2022 school year as a
25 supplemental school year under Section 1 of this Act at the member school, then the
26 student shall have five consecutive calendar years of eligibility from the date of first entry
27 into grade 9, and retaking courses pursuant to Section 1 of this Act shall not otherwise
UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 1358
Page 2 of 2
XXXX Jacketed
1 disqualify the student from eligibility. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association
2 may adopt rules, policies, and bylaws and promulgate administrative regulations
3 necessary to carry out this section.
4 Section 4. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on education throughout
5 the Commonwealth has resulted in a critical need to provide supplemental education to
6 Kentucky's high school students, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act
7 takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor or upon its otherwise
8 becoming a law.

[fansville]

From a safety standpoint I don’t like it.  Most kids graduate at 18 and while you may have a few kids turn 18 during the season, you never have several 18 year olds starting out the season.  What do you do when they turn 19 as many if not most will do before the end of the season?  These kids have had a whole year of growing and are starting to turn into men by the time they graduate and I don’t really like the idea of putting them out there with 15 and 16 year olds.

That is not true of all teams and all areas. Many of the top teams have multiple kids who turn 19 during the season and they definitely have lots that are 18 during the season.

[TheOracle]

They’ve already said the age requirements wouldn’t change. So you’d still have 19 year olds playing varsity football like has always happened.

You’re also not paying for kids to go to school another year, it’s been said the state wouldn’t give extra funding for those kids.

The majority of students who want out of high school will be, but the few that had their recruitment killed would love to have another shot on a normal year. I know multiple student athletes who are being effected currently and it’s costing them lots of scholarship money. If an extra year during a once and a lifetime situation is warranted and given I’m all for it. I don’t think it’ll pass, but due to the kids I know getting shafted I would love to see it passed because if it doesn’t they probably won’t be going to college.

Here is a copy of the Bill if anyone wants to read it.

UNOFFICIAL COPY
Page 1 of 2

1 AN ACT relating to supplementary education and declaring an emergency.
2 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
3 Section 1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on school operations and
4 student learning, notwithstanding any passing grades a high school student may receive
5 during the 2020-2021 school year, any student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school
6 during the 2020-2021 school year may request to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
7 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
8 taken. A high school student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school in grade 12 during
9 the 2020-2021 school year may request the supplemental school year notwithstanding the
10 student satisfying state and district graduation requirements. A retaken course under this
11 section shall not count as an additional credit towards graduation unless the student failed
12 the original course. Retaking a course under this section shall count towards full-time
13 enrollment for the student. A student shall submit the request to the local board of
14 education by June 15, 2021. A local board of education shall not approve or reject
15 requests on an individual basis, but shall determine by June 30, 2021, whether the district
16 shall or shall not accept all requests.
17 Section 2. Any Kentucky nonpublic high school may allow a high school
18 student enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
19 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
20 taken.
21 Section 3. Notwithstanding any rule or regulation of the Kentucky Board of
22 Education or the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, but in compliance with
23 KRS 156.070(2)(f), if a member school provides evidence to the Kentucky High School
24 Athletic Association documenting a student as utilizing the 2021-2022 school year as a
25 supplemental school year under Section 1 of this Act at the member school, then the
26 student shall have five consecutive calendar years of eligibility from the date of first entry
27 into grade 9, and retaking courses pursuant to Section 1 of this Act shall not otherwise
UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 1358
Page 2 of 2
XXXX Jacketed
1 disqualify the student from eligibility. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association
2 may adopt rules, policies, and bylaws and promulgate administrative regulations
3 necessary to carry out this section.
4 Section 4. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on education throughout
5 the Commonwealth has resulted in a critical need to provide supplemental education to
6 Kentucky's high school students, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act
7 takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor or upon its otherwise
8 becoming a law.

So FootballFan1999, could you please point me to the place where the law says anything at all about age requirements and the state not giving extra funding to pay for kids to repeat years?

[Future]

Opening Pandora's Box or you could say going down the rabbit hole with this one. To many areas of inequality can come from this. To me it only looks like the rich get richer type deal. But who knows. The government will do what they want anyway. I bet this passes easily because it is in vogue for this kind of thinking right now imo.

[IntheZone]

Lol at the guy saying he don’t want freshman playing against 19year olds. Looks at the roster of the 12 teams that played in the State Championship. Majority of their seniors are 19. I know we have had three kids say they would take advantage of this if it becomes law. Most will move on. It won’t be as big a problem as you make it out to be.

[T-CATS]

Take the Tomcats who won the 3A state championship and graduate a lot of seniors. They are losing a couple due to College scholarships and say they lose a couple of more that are over the age limit. The rest could come back to help try and defend their title and play another Senior year of football. Ashland could go from young to a veteran team again over night. If the bill passes you know certain teams and schools will use it to the fullest extent possible.

[A Tribe Called Quest]

I am reading a lot the seniors that had their full season taken away from them and bring them back so they can DEFEND or COMPETE for a state title. I get it it wasn't a traditional season.... BUT I look at it this way. How about the stud sophomore (junior to be) and junior (senior to be) waiting for their chance, where does that take them, sit behind another year? Play special team or play out of position?

[TheOracle]

Lol at the guy saying he don’t want freshman playing against 19year olds. Looks at the roster of the 12 teams that played in the State Championship. Majority of their seniors are 19. I know we have had three kids say they would take advantage of this if it becomes law. Most will move on. It won’t be as big a problem as you make it out to be.

Oh, so you've checked out the birthdays on all of the seniors on all twelve of the teams that played in the state championship this year. Yeah, I believe that.


[Image: https://media4.giphy.com/media/l41lFhN0Q.../giphy.gif]

[TheBear]

I read somewhere that the bill will not make the KHSAA amend their age requirements.  I understand not wanting a freshman going against a 20 year old, as I can see an arguement for the student-athletes that are 19.  I think a good win-win for everyone, if it passes, would be to allow any student athlete that takes the extra-year be eligible till their 20th birthday or move the eligibility date back to June 1st.

[FootballFan1999]

They’ve already said the age requirements wouldn’t change. So you’d still have 19 year olds playing varsity football like has always happened.

You’re also not paying for kids to go to school another year, it’s been said the state wouldn’t give extra funding for those kids.

The majority of students who want out of high school will be, but the few that had their recruitment killed would love to have another shot on a normal year. I know multiple student athletes who are being effected currently and it’s costing them lots of scholarship money. If an extra year during a once and a lifetime situation is warranted and given I’m all for it. I don’t think it’ll pass, but due to the kids I know getting shafted I would love to see it passed because if it doesn’t they probably won’t be going to college.

Here is a copy of the Bill if anyone wants to read it.

UNOFFICIAL COPY
Page 1 of 2

1 AN ACT relating to supplementary education and declaring an emergency.
2 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
3 Section 1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on school operations and
4 student learning, notwithstanding any passing grades a high school student may receive
5 during the 2020-2021 school year, any student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school
6 during the 2020-2021 school year may request to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
7 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
8 taken. A high school student enrolled in a Kentucky public high school in grade 12 during
9 the 2020-2021 school year may request the supplemental school year notwithstanding the
10 student satisfying state and district graduation requirements. A retaken course under this
11 section shall not count as an additional credit towards graduation unless the student failed
12 the original course. Retaking a course under this section shall count towards full-time
13 enrollment for the student. A student shall submit the request to the local board of
14 education by June 15, 2021. A local board of education shall not approve or reject
15 requests on an individual basis, but shall determine by June 30, 2021, whether the district
16 shall or shall not accept all requests.
17 Section 2. Any Kentucky nonpublic high school may allow a high school
18 student enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year to use the 2021-2022 school year as a
19 supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already
20 taken.
21 Section 3. Notwithstanding any rule or regulation of the Kentucky Board of
22 Education or the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, but in compliance with
23 KRS 156.070(2)(f), if a member school provides evidence to the Kentucky High School
24 Athletic Association documenting a student as utilizing the 2021-2022 school year as a
25 supplemental school year under Section 1 of this Act at the member school, then the
26 student shall have five consecutive calendar years of eligibility from the date of first entry
27 into grade 9, and retaking courses pursuant to Section 1 of this Act shall not otherwise
UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 1358
Page 2 of 2
XXXX Jacketed
1 disqualify the student from eligibility. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association
2 may adopt rules, policies, and bylaws and promulgate administrative regulations
3 necessary to carry out this section.
4 Section 4. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on education throughout
5 the Commonwealth has resulted in a critical need to provide supplemental education to
6 Kentucky's high school students, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act
7 takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor or upon its otherwise
8 becoming a law.

So FootballFan1999, could you please point me to the place where the law says anything at all about age requirements and the state not giving extra funding to pay for kids to repeat years?

Line 21 and 22. They must be in adherence to to KYBOE and KHSAA rules. Hence funding and age requirements.

[plantmanky]

Be interesting to see who takes advantage of this. A lot of great athletic seniors could use it to get even better offers potentially.

And this is why I’m not for it at all. I would really like to know the true intentions on this “bill”. Can a student abolish their senior academic calendar year and try for better test scores? Is this just for sports or to try and better a student’s future? Idk ....my gut tells me this wouldn’t end up good at all

Has zero to do with academics, that's only a cover, almost all colleges have waived test scores as part of their entrance protocol.

---

Everyone also needs to remember that incoming Freshman class is going to be smaller than normal with holdbacks being allowed in middle school again. Legislature passing that in the last session.

[plantmanky]

After talking to a legal friend of mine, why not offer this to all students in all grades (like NCAA did) and not just seniors. Couldn't that be a title IX violation?

[Lone Ranger]

After talking to a legal friend of mine, why not offer this to all students in all grades (like NCAA did) and not just seniors.  Couldn't that be a  title IX violation?

While I disagree that this isn’t an academic/education issue, I completely agree it should be offered for every student K-12. 
The Senate version of the Bill appears to be very well written and covers most all the main topics. Leave the KHSAA age limits in place just as it should. Every parent should have to opportunity to chose if this is best for their child or not. It gives the parent/guardian and student the opportunity to make a wholistic decision for what is best for their child. Some will use it, some will decide not to. Some kids are ready to move on, others feel the need to do it over. I do not see the drawbacks of giving parents and students an option to decide what is best for them.