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Get ready for more transfers this fall

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A new state law that allows students from underperforming schools to transfer to other public schools with better Academic Performance Index scores could produce transfers this fall and affect high school athletics.

The Open Enrollment Act, known as the Romero bill, went into effect April 14. A list of underperforming schools was released.

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The CIF, which governs high school sports in California, is on the verge of passing rules that would allow athletes immediate eligibility if they transfer from a low-achieving school without moving. The rule includes a requirement that the student must transfer to the school ‘closest geographically’ to the student’s residence with a higher API score.

That could create some interesting scenarios. For example, Crenshaw and Dorsey from the City Section are on the list of low-achieving schools, but Dorsey has a higher API score, which means any Crenshaw student could transfer to Dorsey and gain immediate athletic eligibility.

In Compton, Compton High and Centennial are on the list of low-achieving schools but Dominguez is not. That means students from Compton or Centennial could transfer to Dominguez.

Of course, CIF commissioners would still have a way to deny eligibility if the transfer is athletically motivated or there’s evidence of pre-enrollment contact. But I just don’t see how commissioners are going to prevent students leaving from a low-achieving school to a school with a better API score.

So come fall, look for more movement among athletes, because people are always trying to figure out ways to get around transfer rules.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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