MIDVALE — Playing sports at a public high school just got easier for students who opt to attend classes at a charter school.
The UHSAA's Board of Trustees voted to change the interpretation of the organization's constitution as it relates to students from charter schools participating in public school athletic programs and activities. The change does not, however, force districts to comply.
"There are a few kids who cannot play anywhere else," said UHSAA attorney Mark Van Wagoner.
With the addition of some language that specifically includes charter schools, the UHSAA has made students eligible to play at their home-boundary school. How that would work in each specific instance and between the various charter and public school districts must be worked out by the schools involved.
"We are not stopping them," Van Wagoner said. "We are making them eligible to play. It's still up to the district."
Four members of the board voted against the change.
"This is one of the most difficult issues I've had to deal with," said Teresa Theurer, the state school board representative on the board. "This causes so many complications for both the sending school and the receiving school, and I feel like we're just dumping this on local districts and saying, 'You figure it out."'
The largest issue that's been discussed, both in UHSAA meetings and in legislative hearings, is how to pay for these students to play at schools they do not attend. The few charter schools that have petitioned for the right to send students to public schools said they're willing to pay for their students who want to play sports, but not an unreasonable amount.
"I understand the financial issues, and I'm happy to pay our proportionate fees," said Mike Westover, head master of Maeser Prep Academy. "But things like facilities, the taxpayers have already paid for that."
Added Robert Baker, chairman of Maeser: "We just want to be fair."
Both men said even having a discussion with the school board in their area (Alpine) has been unsuccessful.
"No one is willing to say it's this or that much because no one is willing to talk to us," Westover said. "Let's just see what we can do to make it possible for all kids to participate."
Maeser's administrators attended the meeting to petition for membership to the association for fine arts in the upcoming school year. The request was granted with only one no vote — that of the Alpine board representative.
The change is effective immediately, but several other issues related to this change will be forwarded to the constitution and bylaws committee for further research and study. One of those is adding a representative from charter schools to the board of trustees and the other is an overhaul of the co-op rule, which was written many years ago to allow students to attend another school if his or her school didn't offer certain athletic opportunities.
In other action:
GIRLS GOLF: The board took no action on an appeal from a parent to allow girls who were already participating in co-ed golf to continue playing with their male counterparts. Park City resident Sue Crouch has a 15-year-old daughter who is a very competitive golfer and asked for the exemption after girls golf was sanctioned as a separate sport this spring. Because the state now offers girls golf, girls will not be allowed to participate on the boys teams.
"These girls are ages 14 to 16 or 18 and most haven't even played the game long enough to warrant being asked to give something back," said Jeff Thurman, executive director of the Utah Junior Golf Association. "In their opinion, something has been taken away from them. Grandfathering these girls in would be a welcome gesture on your part."
Crouch said those girls who want to continue playing with the boys are willing to use the male tees. If the players couldn't be grandfathered in, Crouch asked that the state reconsider the decision to make girls golf a sanctioned sport and instead allow it to be a club sport for at least another year.
PGA officials opposed the petition and said this affects less than a half dozen female golfers.
"Five girls on average make it to the state tournament," said Scott Whittaker, director of the Utah section of the PGA. "I don't think any of you can say this isn't the start of something better."
PGA officials had more than 90 girls participate in a spring club program last year, and they estimate about 130 will play the sport, which is scheduled for spring competition.
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com