Haywood board sends 365‑day athletic eligibility rule back to policy committee to craft exemptions and appeal process

Haywood County Schools trustees on Wednesday discussed how to implement a newly adopted 365‑day athletic eligibility rule, asking staff to return a draft policy with a limited list of exemptions and a clear appeals path.

Graham Haines, a district staff member who compiled a review of other North Carolina districtsand state guidance, told the board that practice across the state is mixed: some districts allow immediate eligibility for student transfers, some enforce a 365‑day restriction and others do not address the issue in policy. Haines summarized his survey to the board, saying roughly half the districts he reviewed permit immediate eligibility while a substantial number enforce a waiting period and that "everyone that has a 365 rule has one thing in common. They all have an appeal process of some sort." (Graham Haines, staff member.)

Board members concentrated their discussion on…