The Official Website of The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association - District IV
Guidance For Act 66 of 2021
By: PIAA | PIAA | July 9, 2021
PIAA, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), has collaborated in providing guidance to families regarding the passage of Act 66 of 2021 (Act 66) and its impact on athletics.
Act 66 permits students that were enrolled during the 2020-21 school year to repeat their grade level in an effort to make up for any lost educational opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even if the student met the requirements to be promoted to the next grade level. Parents/guardians and students at or over the age of 18 have until July 15, 2021, to elect to have their child or themselves repeat a grade level for the 2021-22 school year.
Per Act 66, students electing to repeat a grade level in 2021-22 may participate in academic and extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics. However, the law does not permit a student to have more eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics than they would have had they not repeated the grade level.
Specifically, in the Q & A on the PDE website is the following information:
Does this law permit students to receive additional athletic eligibility by repeating a year?
No. The law does not include an additional year of eligibility for interscholastic athletics. The existing PIAA rules that permit 4 consecutive years of high school eligibility and ineligibility for students that turn age 19 prior to July 1 preceding the school year still stand and are unaffected by the passing of Act 66.Parents/guardians should contact their child's school administration for additional information on athletic eligibility.
See Act 66 of 2021 – Student Grade Level Retainment Guidance on the PDE website for more information.
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