High school athletes with disabilities could play immediately after transfer

The House Education Policy Committee heard a bill Monday that would allow high school students with disabilities to immediately compete in varsity sports after transferring to a new school.

Sponsored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), HF2012 was set aside for possible inclusion in a committee omnibus bill. It has no Senate companion.

Under Minnesota State High School League rules, transfer students are generally ineligible for varsity competition for one year beginning from the first date of attendance at the new school unless the student’s parents move from one public school district attendance area to another public school district attendance area.

Dettmer’s bill would have the league adopting rules so that a student with a disability that has an individualized education program or 504 plan that transfers from one public school to another as a reasonable accommodation to reduce barriers to education access, would immediately be eligible to compete.

“It’s a delicate balance to make this stuff work for everybody,” League Attorney Roger Aronson said.

Some members expressed worry that modifying league rules could provide an opening for abuse.

Andrea Jepsen, an associate attorney at the School Law Center, said the legislation created clarity. Most families with a disabled child do a lot of soul searching before transferring their child from one school to another, she said.

Even so, students with disabilities do tend to be mobile, Jepsen said. Her own special needs son transferred schools nine times.

But Dettmer, a high school wrestling coach, said for some students sports may be the one positive thing in their life and wanted to protect that.

Dettmer sponsored his legislation at the behest of constituents with a disabled son.

“As a parent you see it through a different lens,” said Deb Van KIei of Hugo.