LYNN — The Lynn School Committee decided last Thursday to ease Lynn Public Schools athletic eligibility criteria only to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (MIAA) minimum requirements level so that more high school students will be able to play in the fall 2021 sports season regardless of their grades the previous spring.
This resolution will redeem 25 eligible students out of 49 young athletes who have fallen behind on their academics during a trying 2020/2021 school year.
“I think about those students now who are going to be at risk perpetually, not going back into a transition that might be life changing,” said committee member Brian Castellanos. “Athletics is a lifeline.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler stood by his staff at LPS and the hard work they had done in a pandemic. He said that no other school of the Greater Boston League had abandoned MIAA’s requirements and regulations. However, he suggested to the committee that they could put a temporary moratorium on the stricter LPS eligibility criteria and go on with the minimum MIAA standard for the fall season.
According to the MIAA handbook, a student must pass at least two of the four required major courses in each academic marking period. Per Lynn policies, any two F grades make a student ineligible.
If a student is ineligible according to their school district requirements, they won’t be able to play, as MIAA recognizes and supports the school district’s academic standard.
Committee member Lorraine Gately pointed out that MIAA might forfeit a game if students who shouldn’t be playing were on a team. Ineligible students may still participate in practices, but not compete at the interscholastic level, according to the MIAA rules.
Athletics subcommittee Chairman John Ford admonished both students and their parents for not bringing this issue to the committee’s attention back in June so that his group could have come up with a special summer program. Summer school currently is not taken into consideration for fall athletic eligibility.
The motion was inspired by a heartfelt letter from Kay Rowe, director for the Lynn Housing Authority’s Curwin Circle Youth Program. Rowe is also a swim coach and Lynn public schools graduate. Lynn High School coaches, teachers, parents, elected officials, youth leaders and neighbors have signed the letter. Committee Vice Chair Donna Coppola read it aloud at the meeting.
The Lynn Human Rights Commission also sent a letter to the school committee, detailing how this situation was impacting the rights of students.
MIAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The organization sponsors and writes rules for high school sports and activities for 374 public and private high schools in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Alena Kuzub can be reached at [email protected].
