FCPS & LCA Athletics Agreement
Effective August 11, 2010, Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS), Lexington Catholic High School (LCHS) and Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) agreed to abide by the terms in the following agreement:
All references below to “sport” or “sports” refer to KHSAA sanctioned sports.
References below to ineligibility in terms 1 and 2 mean that a student may not participate in game competition or practice for any sport at any level for one full calendar year from the initial date of enrollment at the applicable high school. Students affected by this rule may participate in off-season athletic training and conditioning activities per KHSAA guidelines and in which no coaching supervision is provided.
1. Participation in the 8th grade “play-up” rule.
If a Fayette County area student plays a high school varsity sport as an 8th grade student, then transfers from the FCPS system to LCHS or LCA, or the reverse, as a freshman student, he or she will be ineligible in all sports practice and competition at all levels for one year from the initial date of enrollment for their high school freshman year.
Example: If an 8th grade student at Beaumont Middle School plays a varsity sport at Dunbar High School then enters LCHS or LCA as a freshman, that student will be ineligible for all sports participation (practice and games) at any level for one calendar year from the first day of enrollment at LCHS or LCA.
2. Fayette County high school transfer students.
Any Fayette County high school student who transfers from a FCPS to LCHS / LCA or the reverse after the first day of enrollment of their freshman year or subsequent years will be ineligible for all sports participation (practice and games) for one full year from the date of enrollment at the new school regardless of whether or not the student has played sports at any level at the previous high school.
Possible exceptions to this rule involving extenuating personal, family or financial circumstances may be submitted to the Athletics Oversight Committee for review and decision.
3. Eighth Grade “Transfer” Rule.
An entering freshman student who has “transferred” after the 8th grade from a Fayette County public middle school to LCHS / LCA or from a Fayette County Catholic elementary school to a Fayette County public high school will not be eligible to play any sport at the varsity level during their freshman year. Such students will be able to play at the freshman and junior varsity level.
This rule is superseded in the case where an 8th grade student has “played up” as an 8th grader at a Fayette County school on the varsity level, in which case term # 1 above will apply.
In the case of an 8th grade student transferring from one school system to the other during the 8th grade year, the determinant school will be the one at which the student was enrolled as of the first day of the school year. The Athletics Oversight Panel will review all situations in which athletics is considered a possible primary deciding factor as to why the transfer occurred.
4. Formation of the Fayette County High School Athletics Oversight Panel
An oversight panel will be assembled composed of public and private school representatives who will serve as a standing review and decision-making committee of all Fayette County student transfer situations that are not clearly governed by KHSAA rules and points of agreement in this document. All parties agree to abide by the decisions rendered by the panel.
The panel will originally be composed of five total representatives, including a chairperson who will be mutually determined and selected by Stu Silberman and Steve Angelucci. FCPS will have two representatives on the panel. LCHS and LCA will share two representative seats on this panel. It is anticipated this would take the form of each school having one of the seats (principal or athletics director) and rotating which school is represented in each seat on an annual basis.
It is anticipated that FCPS will institute an annual rotation of members for this committee from each of its five high schools.
The Athletics Oversight Panel will begin functioning immediately upon it being established. Though the terms of this agreement will not be enacted until August 11, 2010, the panel will be in place to review cases that merit review and approval related to the terms and intentions of this agreement prior to that date.
5. Guardian Letter of Acknowledgement
A legal guardian of all entering 8th grade students and high school student who plan to participate in athletics at the high school level will be required to sign a letter of acknowledgement prior to sports participation confirming that they are aware of these guidelines affecting their child’s eligibility.
FCPS, LCHS and LCA will mutually develop a letter of acknowledgement and begin implementation of this process at the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.
Additionally, FCPS, LCHS and LCA will implement an on-going communications plan designed to inform and educate all applicable stakeholders of the terms of this agreement.
A parent/legal guardian of an incoming student athlete at Lexington Catholic will be asked to sign one of the following forms:
The parent/legal guardian of an incoming freshman student from one of Diocese of Lexington partner schools in Fayette County (Christ the King, Mary Queen, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Sts. Peter and Paul) must sign the following agreement prior to their student participating in a KHSAA sanctioned sport at LCHS.
Download the incoming 8th grader partner school student contract
The parent/legal guardian of an incoming freshman transferring from a Fayette County Public Middle School or Lexington Christian Academy who has participated in a KHSAA sanctioned varsity-level sport must sign the following agreement prior to their student participating in a KHSAA sanctioned sport at LCHS.
Download the 8th grade play-up student athlete contract
A parent/legal guardian of a student athlete transferring to Lexington Catholic from Fayette County Public Schools or Lexington Christian Academy at any time after the first day of classes of a school year must sign the following agreement prior to their student participating in a KHSAA sanctioned sport at LCHS.
