Varsity sport eligibility for a new senior in WA high schools

July 11, 2010 9:57 PM

Can anyone explain the WIAA rules for transfer / out of district students? My daughter is about to enter her senior year and is enrolled in a couple of varsity sports at her current Connecticut high school. We are about to move to Washington state, and may live in say, Ferndale while my daughter attends say, Bellingham High School. I have tried to understand whether or not she would be eligible for varsity sports in these circumstances, but cannot wrap my head around the WIAA eligibility rules. Their offices are shut and we need information fast. Can anyone summarize the rule concisely or help me determine her eligibility for varsity for her senior high school year under these circumstances?
posted by blue_wardrobe to Education (9 answers total)

I would wait until morning and call the athletic director of the school she will be transferring into to discuss eligibility.
posted by zachlipton at 12:11 AM on July 12, 2010

Not directly answering your question, but FYI, I went to BHS ~15 years ago and while it might have changed since then, it was pretty anti-intellectual and had a bunch of drugs and gangs. It's the school attended by kids from the poorer neighborhoods and is right downtown. Although downtown Bellingham is generally pretty nice, there's still a lot of blatant teenage drug-dealing/buying, panhandling, shoplifting, vandalism, and other "bad influence" type behaviors very close to the school. It's super-easy to ditch school and go get up to trouble for all or part of the day. Even if your daughter is a good kid, she's going to be surrounded by kids who do go get into these activities.

BHS was so bad that no one in my circle finished there -- we all either dropped out, transferred to alternative schools, or went to college early via the Running Start program. We had our own little informal 10-year reunion and went down and peed on the side of the school, that's how much we hated it.

So if you're going to live in Ferndale, I would send her to Ferndale High instead of BHS. Or if you're determined to send her to a school in Bellingham, send her to Sehome High instead of BHS, if possible. (Sehome is in a better part of town, attended by a better class of kids, and not in proximity to as many opportunities for making bad choices.)
posted by Jacqueline at 12:45 AM on July 12, 2010

I have no idea, but my roommate is a teacher at a Washington State high school (in Seattle). If it sounds useful, email me and I can ask her for information.
posted by jacalata at 1:05 AM on July 12, 2010

I can't answer the specific question, but I CAN respond in regards to a Bellingham Highschool .... Squalicum Highschool in Bellingham is a fantastic school that I can not recommend enough! My son transferred there from Oregon a few years back (grad in 2005) and it was the best thing for him. Tends to be a bit more upscale, is newer, and both campus and staff were exemplary at the time. I am assuming you want her to attend a larger school, thus Bellingham ... if you do, I would NOT consider Sehome H.S., and I have heard same about Bellingham H.S. as Jacqueline. Squalicum would be my choice, research it a bit.
posted by batikrose at 8:05 AM on July 12, 2010

Hi, I'm a high school teacher in the Seattle area, and I also coach track. It looks like you have two different questions here. If you move to a new district (like Ferndale) and your daughter goes to school there, then she will be eligible to play. If you move to a district and your daughter attends school in a different district, it might be very difficult for her to be eligible. The WIAA can be pretty strict about students going out of district for sports-related reasons. I'm sure that you have found this but here's the eligibility book.
posted by shrabster at 8:06 AM on July 12, 2010

Added....If you want to consider Squalicum H.S., it is in the northeast area of Bellingham, which is also a nice area to live ... just thought I would add that, choosing neighborhoods accordingly of course, don't rent/buy without first seeing.
posted by batikrose at 8:12 AM on July 12, 2010

Also, here's a quote from the WIAA eligibility Q&A

"42. What is the definition of a transfer student?
A transfer student is one who is attending a school district outside of the school district where his/her family unit resides. (18.11.0)
43. What are the restrictions on athletic participation as a transfer student?
Transfer students are limited to junior varsity participation in those sports they participated in the previous year at the school, club or community level. Students regain full varsity eligibility after one year of continuous enrollment. (18.12.0 and 18.25.3)"

So your scenario of living in Ferndale and having your daughter be eligible for varsity sports in Bellingham this year won't happen.
posted by shrabster at 8:13 AM on July 12, 2010

Ah, Squalicum High School was built after my time. But the neighborhood (northeast Bellingham) is much, much closer to Ferndale than Sehome, so if it is as good as batikrose says, then that would certainly be a far better choice than either BHS or Sehome.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:02 PM on July 12, 2010

Since it sounds from other comments like you have to live in whatever district she plays in, if you haven't bought a house already, then the optimal solution might be to rent in the Squalicum High School district for a year and then buy in Ferndale later (thus giving you more time to shop for the perfect house). You'd be on the north end of mBellingha and thus only a few miles from whatever employment/business you have in Ferndale so the commute won't be that bad.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:07 PM on July 12, 2010