The regions in which the 267 member schools of the Arizona Interscholastic Association will compete in are set for the next two-year scheduling block.

On Monday, the AIA’s board finalized the region process after it denied 10 of the 13 region appeals that were presented during Monday’s monthly board meeting. The appeals of Combs (4A Desert Sky Region to 4A Black Canyon), Mayer (excluding football, 1A West to 1A Central) and San Tan Foothills (2A South to 2A Metro East) were accepted. 

These schools’ appeals were denied: Northwest Christian (3A West to 3A Metro), Trivium Prep (football 1A North to 1A West), Trivium Prep (all sports 2A West to 2A Central), Odyssey (3A West to 3A Metro), Benjamin Franklin (3A Central to 3A Metro), Sierra Linda (5A Northwest to 5A West), Sahuaro (5A Southern to 5A Sonoran), Gilbert Christian (2A Metro West to 2A Metro East), and St. John (football 2A East to 2A North).  

The next step in the conference/region scheduling timeline is for the conferences to generate football schedules Jan. 12 at Xavier College Prep.

Executive director report

During his monthly report to the board, Dr. Harold Slemmer, the AIA’s executive director, wanted Monday’s minutes to reflect the contributions of the fall tournament’s workers.

“We are really appreciative of what they do,” Dr. Slemmer said.

All of the fall tournament’s workers’ names were listed on the agenda board members received.

The AIA will start implementing the recommendations schools made in a survey that was sent to them at the start of the current school year, Dr. Slemmer added.

Adding a coach’s corner segment to aiaonline.org was one of the recommendations. 

Dr. Slemmer concluded his report by giving an update on robotics and telling the board that the AIA is preparing to send a response to a letter sent by the superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District. Robotics got off to a successful start last year as an AIA activity and is moving its state tournament to Grand Canyon University this season.

The board approved of Dr. Slemmer's response to the letter. 

Membership comments

Board member Camille Casteel informed the board of a meeting she had with District 15 state representative Heather Carter.

Dr. Slemmer and AIA attorney Mark Mignnela met with Carter in August to go over some of the bills that might affect AIA member schools.

“(Carter) was very supportive and knowledgeable,” Casteel said.

Carter also asked why the AIA doesn’t take a position on online and home school transfers.

Besides Casteel, board member Sister Lynn Winsor was the only other person to speak during the member school portion of Monday’s meeting.

Sister Lynn, the AIA’s rep for the Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, said that Chandler District athletic director Marcus Williams and Paradise Valley district AD Corey Newland were selected as the Class 6A and Class 5A representatives, respectively, for the AIAAA.

Sister Lynn also informed the board that longtime Tucson District AD and former AIAAA executive director Joni Pabst will be inducted into the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association's Hall of Fame. Pabst is the first AD from Arizona to receive the highest honor for a high school athletic administrator.

Pabst was present during Monday’s board meeting and was congratulated by the board and Dr. Slemmer for the huge honor.   

Agenda items approved

The board approved the following agenda items:

It adopted an AIA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee’s policy on transgender athletes.

"The board feels more comfortable with a specifically written process when deciding individual transgender eligibility," Dr. Slemmer said. 

--Peoria District’s request for an additional wrestling tournament. The Peoria schools participating in the tournament are Peoria, Cactus, Sunrise Mountain, Centennial, Ironwood, Liberty, and Raymond S. Kellis.

--Gilbert Leading Edge Academy’s request to become a full AIA Class 1A member in 2016.

--River Valley’s request to allow a 12^th grade student to participate on the junior varsity boys basketball team.

--Also accepted were additional game requests by Desert Edge, Window Rock, Scottsdale Christian and Odyssey Institute.   

--Globe High’s student eligibility hardship request.

Hardship appeal 

The board also listened to the open door hardship appeal of student Grace Telepak.

Telepak attended St. Mary’s but transferred to Dobson and was seeking to play basketball this season. Students who aren’t permitted to play because of transfer rules are allowed to appeal that decision to the AIA’s board.  

Telepak’s appeal was denied.    

School violations

The AIA is a self-reporting association.

Each month the AIA receives a list of violations and recommends one of three punishments, advisement, warning or probation. On Monday, the AIA’s board approved the AIA’s recommendation to dispense the AIA’s least severe form of discipline, advisement, to three schools, Liberty, Poston Butte and Coconino. 

Liberty reported that a student at a charter school without a wrestling team wrestled for one of Liberty’s wrestling teams, which is disallowed.

Poston Butte reported that a student tried out for the school’s soccer program, but the school overlooked that the student was home schooled.

Coconino reported that an out of boundary, home schooled student participated in two sports as a freshman.