Our son is an 8th grader at ASFA, the Alabama School of Fine Arts. It is an Alabama public school, open to any child who is accepted.  Everett was thrilled to be accepted there this year, but enrolling meant no longer being allowed to participate in Track, Cross Country and Wrestling, as there are no athletics offered at ASFA, and he would no longer be eligible to participate at his local school. It was a difficult decision, because we feel that athletics are integral to physical and mental heath, but ultimately we all agreed that, although we are fortunate to live in a community with such wonderful public schools, there was no question that the best place academically, artistically and socially for Everett was ASFA. 

According to current AHSAA rules, children may participate in athletics at the school for which they are zoned if they are either enrolled in that public school or in a magnet school which does not offer athletics. Because ASFA is a public school, not technically a magnet school, although it functions almost entirely as one and fits by nearly every definition, students there are left without access to school athletics. If it were a magnet, the students would be allowed to participate in athletics at the public schools for which they are zoned. There is currently no AHSAA rule to address this specific case, so neither they nor the school system can/will allow him to join his old team.

I would like AHSAA to amend the rules to allow students like Everett, who attend a public school such as ASFA (for which the entire state of Alabama is "zoned") to participate in athletics at the other public school for which they are zoned, or the nearest school geographically to where they reside during the school year (if boarding).

Please help Alabama join the 28 states that already have similar rules and don't allow the continued discrimination against the children who, because of special talents or other circumstances, are not best suited to a traditional school learning environment.  These kids deserve inclusion in their communities' athletic programs.