Below is the draft version of the guidelines for Westwood CSD. The board will be listening to any community member that would like to join the discussion into this topic at this Wednesday, July 15th at 7 p.m. Meet us in the library as we navigate this process together!
Draft: Eighth Grade Athletics Eligibility Guidelines
Emergency Rules
At its June 18 meeting, the Iowa State Board of Education approved the Emergency Rules written by the Department of Education to implement HF2591. The bill, signed into law by Governor Reynolds on June 2, changes the transfer and open enrollment ineligibility period from 90 school days to 140 calendar days. It also allows 8th grade students to participate in high school athletics. Both of those changes will become effective August 1, 2026.
IHSAA and IGHSAU have drafted initial guidance for schools based on the Emergency Rules
Eighth Grade Student Participation in High School Athletics – Supplemental Provider Attestation
It provides an additional medical attestation from the healthcare provider that the student has been evaluated and is medically appropriate for participation at the high school level.
The boards from both the IGHSAU and IHSAA have adopted this form as part of the required paperwork for eighth-grade students who have not yet completed their annual sports physical.
At the state level, students who have already received a physical for this school year would be grandfathered in and would not be required to complete the supplemental form. However, local school districts would still have the option to require this supplemental form for all eighth-grade students participating at the high school level this year, regardless of whether they have already completed a physical.
Beginning with future school years, this supplemental provider attestation form would become part of the required physical documentation for eligible eighth-grade participants statewide.
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