What would TSSAA public-private split mean?

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association is set to vote next month on a potential public-private split that would change the landscape of high school athletics in Tennessee. High school sports reporters Michael Murphy and Tom Kreager sat down to answer some of the major questions surrounding the upcoming decision:

What is this all about?

The long-running public-private debate has plagued the TSSAA, along with high school athletic associations across the country, for decades.

In 1996, a TSSAA legislative council voted to form Division II — composed of private schools that provided need-based financial aid for athletes. The state's public schools, along with a handful of private schools that did not provide need-based aid, remained in Division I.

Not long after the initial partial split, the issue surfaced again.

In 2002, then-Collinwood principal Herb Luker proposed a complete split. It was ultimately defeated by a 5-4 vote, but the TSSAA implemented an enrollment multiplier two years later, forcing Division I private schools to compete against larger schools.

What is a multiplier?

A multiplier is a classification component that was first put in place in 2004 to establish a more level playing field in Division I.

The TSSAA uses a 1.8 multiplier, meaning the high school enrollment figures of Division I private schools are multiplied by 1.8 for classification purposes.

For instance, a school such as Christ Presbyterian Academy has a current high school enrollment of 419 students. Once the 1.8 multiplier is applied, that number swells to 754.2, resulting in the Lions' Class AA classification (3A in football). If not for the multiplier, CPA, which does not offer need-based financial aid to athletes, would compete in Class A against schools closer in size.

Why is this an issue now?

In March 2014, Lewis County and Trousdale County made a proposal similar to Luker's, which would force all private schools to join Division II, regardless of financial aid status.

The TSSAA legislative council voted 7-2 to table the proposal in order to form a committee to study the issue further. The committee, composed of two council members, two board members and 11 public and private school officials, recently provided the council with four options, including a complete split, a postseason split, implementing a success-advancement component or simply leaving things the way they are.

A fifth proposal — separating schools based on whether they are classified as "urban" or "rural" — was brought up at a June 11 public-private study session.

Who will make the decision?

The TSSAA's Legislative Council, composed of school officials from the state's nine athletic districts will decide. Council members are Science Hill athletics director Keith Turner, Knoxville Central principal Michael Reynolds, Soddy-Daisy principal Danny Gilbert, Watertown principal Jeff Luttrell, Maplewood principal Ron Woodard, Lewis County athletics director Mike Tatum, Huntingdon athletics director Mike Henson, Bradford Special Schools director Dan Black and Memphis Central principal Greg McCullough. There are no independent school representatives currently on the Board of Control or Legislative Council.

When will the decision be made?

The Legislative Council is scheduled to vote at 1 p.m. July 16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro. However, it is possible the council once again will vote to table the issue for a later date.

If a complete split passes, what will it mean?

The 24 private schools currently competing in Division I, including Christ Presbyterian Academy, Columbia Academy, Goodpasture, Grace Christian (Franklin), Lipscomb Academy, Middle Tennessee Christian and Nashville Christian, would be forced to join Division II.

When would it take effect?

The changes from any proposal that passes would be begin with the 2017-18 school year.

How is need-based financial aid determined for Division II schools?

An athlete's parents or guardians must submit all of their income information to one of the financial services that the TSSAA allows. That agency determines how much the family can afford to pay a Division II school. That information then goes back to the independent school heads.

For example, if it is determined that a family is able to afford to pay $8,000 toward their children's independent school education and the tuition is $14,000, then that athlete's need-based aid is $6,000. A Division II school can award only up to that. The TSSAA has found that through the years very few schools have awarded the entire amount for which an athlete qualifies.

What is work study, and why is it not considered a financial aid?

The term the TSSAA prefers is student employment. Both independent and public schools employ students. The TSSAA does not allow students to do student employment to work off tuition. The wage must be a normal pay a school would typically pay for that work, and income taxes must be removed. The student receives a check for the work and can do whatever he or she wants with that. They can use it to pay their tuition if they choose.

For an athlete who transfers, what must happen for them to not have to sit out a year?

You have to have a bona fide change of address by the entire family unit. Basically, the rule states the new residence has to be outside of the previous school territory and inside the territory of their new school. If the student does not have an athletic record, he or she is free to transfer to any school without penalty.

What is an athletic record?

According to the 2014-15 TSSAA Handbook, "A student has an 'athletic record' if the student has played in an interscholastic contest at the varsity, junior varsity, ninth grade, or any other level, on behalf a TSSAA member school or a school that is a member of a state athletic association holding membership in the National Federation."

What do you have to do to prove recruiting has occurred?

The TSSAA must receive factual information about a violation to investigate a school, and that information must not be anonymous. The TSSAA refuses to accuse a school of recruiting athletes based on hearsay. There must be some facts presented. The TSSAA will not divulge their sources to the schools, but the high school association wants to have a name signed to the complaint.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8018 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.