School transfer policy sets sensible limits

The Rock Hill school district’s new policy for student transfers from one school to another is a sensible way to prevent student athletes from shopping around for the high school sports program they prefer.

While the district has not experienced wholesale migrations of students to or from particular attendance zones, district officials have seen instances in which student athletes transfer to a different zone solely so they can take advantage of a sports program they like. In some cases, families will move to a different location to accommodate their children’s desires.

This process can begin in middle school. And it can be abetted by high school coaches who openly encourage a promising young athlete to transfer to their schools.

Rock Hill schools Superintendent Kelly Pew noted a trend in which some middle school athletes hold reveal parties to announce what high school they will attend.

To stop transfers for purely athletic reasons, the district has adopted a rule that will require those who transfer to sit out a year before participating in any sports programs. District officials hope that will help discourage such transfers.

In some cases, of course, students will transfer for other, often unavoidable reasons, such as parental divorce, family illnesses, homelessness or other hardships. A committee of the district’s three high school principals, a middle school administrator and the associate superintendent for athletes will determine whether an athlete must sit out a year.

Any athlete who transfers must appeal immediately for eligibility to play rather than waiting a year.

We understand that many families see athletics as a path to success in high school and beyond for their children, and they want their kids to be able to participate in what they may see as the best high school programs. But that can deprive students who already live within an attendance zone the chance to play.

It also makes it more difficult for coaches to build programs when their players are being poached by other schools. And it allows coaches to recruit players around the district when transferring might not be in the best overall interests of the students.

We think that’s a crucial point. The emphasis should be on the total development and growth of the students, not simply on the exploitation of their athletic abilities.

All three of Rock Hill’s high schools have excellent sports programs. As with any such programs, the teams’ fortunes can rise and fall from one season to the next, but individual athletes almost always have the chance to excel in any given year.

Colleges and universities have been accused of being the unofficial farm teams for the NFL and NBA. We don’t think that process should begin in the eighth grade.

The Rock Hill school district has instituted a sound policy to help maintain a reasonable perspective on the importance of high school sports and the need to attend to the greater needs of students with an emphasis on performance in the classroom.

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "School transfer policy sets sensible limits."