HR 6 — A Resolution urging the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., to adopt separate playoff systems for public schools and private and charter schools.

PRINTER'S NO.   36

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



              HOUSE RESOLUTION
                 No. 6
                                                   Session of
                                                     2025

     INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, SANCHEZ, FLICK, OLSOMMER, HILL-EVANS,
        CIRESI, HARKINS AND DELLOSO, JANUARY 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
        OPERATIONS, JANUARY 10, 2025


                                   A RESOLUTION
 1   Urging the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association,
 2      Inc., to adopt separate playoff systems for public schools
 3      and private and charter schools.
 4         WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
 5   Association, Inc., (PIAA) is a nonprofit corporation formed in
 6   Pittsburgh on December 29, 1913, by high school principals with
 7   the intent of eliminating abuses and establishing uniform rules;
 8   and
 9         WHEREAS, According to Article II of the PIAA Constitution,
10   the purpose of the PIAA is to:
11             (1)   Organize, develop and direct an interscholastic
12         athletic program which will promote, protect and conserve the
13         health and physical welfare of all participants.
14             (2)   Formulate and maintain policies that will safeguard
15         the educational values of interscholastic athletics and
16         cultivate the high ideals of good sportsmanship.
17             (3)   Promote uniformity of standards in all
18         interscholastic athletic competition;
 1   and
 2         WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 1 of the PIAA Constitution
 3   states: "Member schools shall be divided each even-numbered
 4   years into classes based upon criteria established by the Board
 5   of Directors"; and
 6         WHEREAS, Article VII of the PIAA Constitution grants the
 7   board of directors and officers the authority "To exercise such
 8   other powers as are in keeping with the growth and needs of PIAA
 9   and which are consistent with the provisions of the
10   Constitution, Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, and Rules and
11   Regulations of PIAA"; and
12         WHEREAS, Article VII of the PIAA Constitution grants the
13   board of directors and officers the authority "To have general
14   control of Inter-District Championship Contests"; and
15         WHEREAS, The PIAA has used their authority in the past to
16   implement changes to promote fairness and further the purposes
17   enumerated in Article II of the PIAA Constitution, including a
18   recent increase in district classification from four to six in
19   2015; and
20         WHEREAS, Act 219 of 1972 permitted private schools to join
21   the PIAA but did not prohibit separate playoffs; and
22         WHEREAS, As a PIAA member, public schools may build sports
23   teams from only those students who live within the geographical
24   boundaries of the school district; and
25         WHEREAS, Private and charter schools that are members of the
26   PIAA may recruit students based on academics without
27   consideration of geographical boundaries, giving these schools
28   the opportunity to build competitive sports teams and an unfair
29   advantage over public schools; and
30         WHEREAS, Of the 36 State titles awarded in basketball in the

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 1   past three seasons, eight were won by public schools and 28 were
 2   won by private and charter schools even though private and
 3   charter schools make up approximately 20% of the schools in the
 4   State; and
 5      WHEREAS, The student benefits of winning State titles include
 6   an increase in confidence, recognition, media coverage and an
 7   increase in college recruitment opportunities; and
 8      WHEREAS, A fair opportunity to win championships in sports
 9   could be provided to public school students if the PIAA would
10   establish separate playoffs for public schools and private and
11   charter schools; therefore be it
12      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
13   Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., to
14   adopt separate playoff systems for public schools and private
15   and charter schools to provide fairness and equality in junior
16   high school, middle school and high school sports and to further
17   the purposes enumerated in Article II of the PIAA Constitution.




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