LHSAA Special Meeting Set For Oct. 3; “Select” Definition Up For Vote
by Hunter Bower // GeauxPreps.com Owner
LHSAA SELECT DEFINITION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
2019 SELECT DEFINITION MOVED TO GLOSSARY BY MEMBERSHIP
MEMBER SCHOOL NOTIFICATION OF SPECIAL MEETING/OPEN RATE – SEPT. 21, 2023
MEMBER SCHOOL NOTIFICATION OF SPECIAL MEETING DATE & LOCATION/OPEN RATE – SEPT. 25, 2023
BATON ROUGE – In a decisive move to address the long-standing debate surrounding the term “Select” schools, the LHSAA has officially scheduled a special meeting set to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Marriott Hotel in Baton Rouge.
The decision to hold this special meeting was made during the LHSAA executive committee’s meeting last week, where they gave the green light to address the contentious issue head-on. The primary objective of this special gathering is to approve or deny a glossary definition for “Select” schools, a term that has been a source of significant controversy within the state’s athletic landscape.
In an unprecedented move last fall, the LHSAA executive committee approved a new definition for “Select” as any member deemed to be a lab school, magnet school, school with magnet components, charter school, parish that allow open enrollment at all its public schools and tuition-based schools.
In addition, the committee restructured the postseason brackets in the sports of football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball in the interest of leveling the playing field as well as shrinking down bloated playoff brackets as well as the number of championship games. The playoff structure has been the focus of an ongoing legal battle between the LHSAA and nine member schools who were awarded a temporary injunction last month to revert back to the original split format.
Eddie Bonine, the executive director of the LHSAA, issued a memo detailing the specifics of this crucial meeting. The memo, distributed to member schools and media members, provided essential information regarding the date, time, and the necessary conditions for the vote to be valid.
The special meeting will convene at 1 p.m. and will focus on one item set to be approved or voted down. A “Yes” vote would keep the current “Select” definition in place while a “No” vote would revert the glossary item back to its January 2022 definition, which state: “Select shall mean private or public schools that have an established academic criteria that is used in order to determine the admission and/or retention of its students.”
One of the critical requirements for the meeting is a quorum of the LHSAA’s 404 member schools. To validate the vote, a minimum of 203 schools must be present at the special meeting. This quorum represents a simple majority of the member schools, a clear demonstration of the significance of the issue at hand. The decision to involve the broader membership aims to ensure that the resolution reflects the collective interests of Louisiana’s high school sports community.
WHAT TO KNOW
WHAT: LHSAA Special Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023
WHERE: Marriott Hotel, 5500 Hilton Ave, Baton Rouge
WHY: Vote to approve the current Executive Committee approved definition of “Select”
WHO CAN ATTEND: Member school principal and/or approved administrative proxy
WHAT IS NEEDED TO CALL SPECIAL MEETING: A simple majority of member schools. 203 schools must attend to hold a quorum.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A MAJORITY IS NOT REACHED: A vote to approve “Select” designation can not be held and the association will temporarily be left with an unapproved term.
HOW MANY VOTES ARE NEED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA ITEM: A simple majority is needed to approve the agenda item.
WHAT DOES A “YES” VOTE SIGNIFY: If approved, the current “Select” designation, approved by Executive Committee last year stays in place thus including any member deemed to be a lab school, magnet school, school with magnet components, charter school, parish that allow open enrollment at all its public schools and tuition-based schools.
WHAT DOES A “NO” VOTE SIGNIFY: A “No” vote would revert the glossary item back to its January 2022 definition, which states: “Select shall mean private or public schools that have an established academic criteria that is used in order to determine the admission and/or retention of its students.”
WILL MEMBER SCHOOLS VOTE ON PLAYOFF STRUCTURES: Playoff Structure in the sports of Baseball, Basketball, Football and Softball approved under Article 4.4.4 is not on the agenda and will NOT be voted on.
