Eligibility standard
NOTE: Grading scales vary in each district. All lowest passing grades listed represent a letter grade of 'D’ within that district.
Just as high school basketball season entered its second half, many school districts also began their second semester. This marks the close of a grading period and the release of grades that could determine a student athlete’s eligibility for the rest of the season. A JournalNews analysis of the minimum academic requirements across Butler County’s public school districts found a wide range of standards.
Data shows the minimum grade-point average requirement for eligibility at each of the high schools range from 2.0 to 1.0. That number can be skewed, however, depending on the grading scale each school utilizes.
Both the Lakota and Ross districts have a minimum 1.0 cumulative GPA requirement for student-athletes to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities. At Lakota, the lowest passing grade to average a 1.0 is 60 percent. At Ross, that figure is a 70 percent. The highest minimum GPA is at Talawanda with a 2.0. Hamilton requires a 1.75 and Middletown has a 1.55 minimum.
“Our grading scale is one of the most rigorous in the area,” Ross Superintendent Greg Young said. “Given that, I don’t think a 1.0 is out of line.”
Young also explained that student-athletes in season are checked on a weekly basis.
It’s the same in the Lakota district.
“They have to be passing five solid classes on a weekly basis, and physical education doesn’t count,” Lakota East Athletic Director Richard Bryant said. Those five classes must be one-credit courses such as English, algebra or history.
“A 1.0 is passing, but if we have kids there then we will be addressing that situation to get their grades up very quickly,” Bryant said. “While it is the minimum standard and they can continue to play, it is not acceptable. If we are allowing that to be OK then we are doing a disservice to the student.”
Lakota school board President Joan Powell said she didn’t think 1.0 was “particularly” low with the new 10-point grading scale, which has been in place for three years.
Powell said that on the previous seven-point scale a Lakota student with a straight 90 average was earning a 3.0 GPA while that same 90 average translated to a 4.0 in other districts.
“We’ve always had the approach that academics are the first priority and extracurriculars are a privilege,” she said. “But our focus is more on the weekly eligibility, and what that does is give our students the motivation to stay on top of their work.”
For the student-athlete, staying motivated can be difficult, especially when they are involved in multiple activities.
“I struggled at times especially my sophomore year,” said Middletown senior Zach Edwards, who is a three-sport athlete for the Middies. “I never thought I had the time (to study), but then I realized I did through our study tables.
“It’s a hard transition from junior high to high school because the amount of work is greater.”
Fairfield does not have a specific GPA requirement, although a 64 average is the lowest possible passing grade. Students at Fairfield must pass five one-credit courses in the previous grading period, which is exactly the same as the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s eligibility requirement for its member schools.
“The state has set a requirement for what everyone has to have and we have always tried to set our standards to go along with the state,” Fairfield Athletic Director Mark Harden said.
Talawanda sets its standards higher than the state requirement. They require a 2.0 GPA to be eligible for extracurricular activities, which translates to a 74 average on their grading scale.
“Our philosophy has changed related to kids failing,” Athletic Director Chris Weaver said. “Before, it might have been acceptable to fail a student if he wasn’t doing the work. Now we have so many resources in place that it’s not an option anymore. It’s not OK to just give an ‘F.’ We have to find ways to help a kid pass. We don’t want kids to fail.”
“It’s not a challenge. It’s a goal,” Weaver said. “Do we still have failures? Sure, but we’re doing everything we can to help them succeed.”
Middletown students who drop below 2.5 are sent to a study table for two weeks to improve that grade.
“We are proactive in helping kids keep their grades up,” Middletown Athletic Director Gary Lebo said. “We are fortunate to have the study table available.
Middletown school board President Marcia Andrew said she doesn’t want to see students performing at the 1.55 level or below.
“We obviously want all students to perform better than that, but it is a balancing act because eligibility is what is keeping some students in school,” Andrew said. “It is a failure if they drop out and the study table is a good way to balance that out.”
Hamilton school board president Larry Bowling said Hamilton’s requirement was reduced from 2.0 about 10 years ago.
“Some of coaches came to the administration and said we were penalizing some kids that could be eligible,” Bowling said. “We have to meet the state standards, but we wanted more strength than the state standard so we made the decision to reduce it to 1.75.
“There is no magic to it. But maybe it’s time to review it again. We haven’t looked at it in a long time.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.
About the Author