By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
LYFORD — The University Interscholastic League amended student eligibility guidelines Friday in response to the Texas Education Agency announcing Tuesday that parents can decide to send kids to school or do remote learning.
The UIL stated that student-athletes who choose to do remote learning in the 2020-2021 school year “may participate in UIL activities if they meet all other UIL eligibility requirements.” Student-athletes can only represent a school if they are enrolled in that school’s remote learning options.
However, school districts do have the authority to “develop local policies with additional requirements for participation” that could overrule the UIL decision. But the ruling opens the possibility for fall athletics for districts like Point Isabel ISD, which elected during an emergency board meeting held Friday to keep all campuses closed and not have face-to-face instruction until the school board determines “it is safe for (all) students, faculty and staff to return.”
The UIL modified eligibility requirements for the first six weeks of the school year. Athletes will be eligible “if they accumulated at least two and a half credits since the start of the 2019-2020 school year.” School districts again have the authority to adopt additional requirements.
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools has not announced its guidelines pertaining to remote learning and extracurricular eligibility. TAPPS executive director Bryan Bunselmeyer released a video Friday expressing his optimism that fall sports will be played.
“We are making our plans for fall … as the opportunity presents itself in the weeks ahead, TAPPS will provide meaningful competition in a safe, healthy environment as soon as possible for our schools,” Bunselmeyer said. “TAPPS will provide the competition structure for our schools’ fine arts and athletics teams as soon as circumstances allow.”
St. Joseph Academy athletic director and football coach Tino Villarreal echoed the TAPPS optimism in his own video Friday, and he provided an update that SJA’s summer workout programs will remain on hold for at least another week.
“We are dying to bring everyone back on campus as all coaches are eager to get going,” Villarreal said. “Here at St. Joe, we are looking forward to fall sports, regardless of what’s out there in the social media world. We’re still very optimistic that we will bring everyone back as soon as possible and look forward to playing our fall sports.”
Fall sports practices for UIL and TAPPS member schools are still scheduled to begin Aug. 3, unless a school chooses to delay.