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Board weighs allowing Alliance Academy students to compete for zoned schools under GHSA rule change
Summary
Dr. Josh Lowe, representing Alliance Academy for Innovation, briefed the Forsyth County Schools board on March 11 about whether students who attend Alliance Academy should be allowed to participate in Georgia High School Association (GHSA) athletics at their zoned base schools.
Dr. Josh Lowe, representing Alliance Academy for Innovation, briefed the Forsyth County Schools board on March 11 about whether students who attend Alliance Academy should be allowed to participate in Georgia High School Association (GHSA) athletics at their zoned base schools.
Lowe reminded trustees that Alliance was designed as a standalone career-pathways high school when it opened in fall 2018 and that GHSA bylaws have since changed. He read the relevant bylaw aloud: “If approved by the local board of education, students enrolled in a magnet or specialty school established by the local board of education shall be allowed to participate in GHSA extracurricular activities as a member of the school team for the school of which they would ordinarily attend according to the local Board of Education attendance policy.” Lowe identified that bylaw as 1.62N.
Why it matters: Allowing Alliance students to play for their zoned schools would match recent GHSA practice in other districts and extend parity to families; trustees and staff said it could also create logistical burdens around transportation, class-time lost to travel for away contests, supervision when students return to base schools, and scheduling conflicts with Alliance career-technical obligations and CTSO (career-technical student organization) commitments.
Key considerations presented by staff included: transportation and supervision logistics for students commuting between campuses; potential increased out-of-class time for students who travel long distances to play in away games; how eligibility and communication lines would be managed between Alliance and base-school athletic directors; whether some GHSA activities (for example, esports or fine-arts competitions) could remain at Alliance while athletics compete at base schools; and whether parents would need to provide transportation if district buses cannot accommodate extra trips.
Board response and next steps: Trustees asked staff whether existing attendance procedures would conflict with GHSA requirements; staff said they would consult legal counsel and clarify whether a policy or an administrative regulation is required. Several trustees suggested limiting any change to GHSA athletics (rather than all GHSA-sanctioned activities) and creating explicit guardrails (for example, transportation responsibility, a defined list of allowed activities, and eligibility protocols). Several board members expressed support for preparing a written proposal for the board and public to review.
Chairman Mike Valdez asked staff to return to the board with a proposed policy, procedure or application amendment for consideration; trustees seconded placing the Alliance item on a future agenda for additional public review and action. No formal board vote changing the current practice was recorded at the March 11 meeting.
