I apologize for the delay in getting this information out but I wanted to make sure that the information was correct before I released it.
As many of you are aware, the timing of this year's show is causing a good bit of concern for some regarding UIL eligibility status. I have finally been able to ascertain a definitive answer on how all of this is going to work. Our situation was only complicated by the facts that schools started earlier this year and spring break has fallen a week later than it usually does.
I have spent the majority of the last two days either reading the online 2008-2009 TEA-UIL Policy Manual or on the phone talking to various representatives of UIL and/or Local School Administrations.
THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM:
THE 2008-2009 School Superintendent's UIL Orientation Package
"A student who receives a grade below 70 at the end of any grading period (after the first six weeks of the school year) in any academic class (other than an advanced class) or a student with disabilities who fails to meet the standards in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) may not participate in the extracurricular activities for at least three school weeks. An ineligible may practice or rehearse, however. The student regains eligibility when the principal and the teachers determine that he or she has: (1) earned a passing grade (70 or above) in all academic classes, other than advanced placement classes, and (2) completed the three weeks of ineligibility and a seven calendar day waiting period. "
Ordinarily this would mean that if your student failed a class as of the end of the 4th six weeks grading period (Feb 20th), then after your child completed three weeks of ineligibility (Mar 13th) and a seven calendar day waiting period (Mar. 20th), then your student could regain eligibility at 3:15 on March 20th, provided that he or she was passing the class in question.
However:
Since spring break is a seven consecutive day school holiday, it will not count as the one week waiting period.
THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM:
THE UIL POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION WEB SITE REGARDING HOLIDAYS found online at: http://www.uil.utexas.edu/policy/holiday_elig_schedule.html (cut and paste this into your browser)
Spring Break example:
Grading period ends Friday, March 13. Students are on holiday from the end of school on the 13th until school resumes Monday, March 23. All students are academically eligible during a school holiday period consisting of at least seven consecutive calendar days. The seven-calendar day grace period begins on Monday, March 23 and the student’s lose/regain eligibility on Monday, March 30 at the time the school day normally ends.
So what does all of this mean?
This means that if your child received a failing grade on his or her report card for the grading period ending on February 20th, then he or she will be ineligible to show during the County Show.
If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact Willie Arnwine in the County 4-H Office at (903) 683-5416 or you can call the State UIL Policy Director, Bonnie Northcutt in Austin at (512) 471-5883.
