What is an Approved School?

What happens if we want to play an approved school or invite them to our event? These are questions being asked with increasing frequency by member schools. KSHSAA Bylaw Article I, Membership states, “Any public or private high school accredited by the Kansas State Board of Education, Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, or any other valid accrediting agency approved by the Executive Board, may become a member of this Association.”

Occasionally, there are small, private schools that do not have KSDE or other acceptable accreditation, who desire to play KSHSAA member schools. To facilitate that possibility, years ago the KSHSAA added the following to Bylaw Article I, in Section 5, “Private schools which are not eligible for full membership in the KSHSAA, and which are not under suspension from this or any other state association, may be put on an “approved school list” and members of the Association shall be permitted to compete with schools on such list. Schools on the “approved school list” shall not be eligible to participate in Association sponsored activities or tournaments or events conducted for the purpose of determining an official KSHSAA championship.”

Q. What schools may KSHSAA member schools play?
A. By rule, KSHSAA member schools may only play other schools which are KSHSAA members or members of a counterpart state association. The only other schools eligible to play a member school are Kansas schools on the KSHSAA Approved School List.

Q. Are KSHSAA approved schools required to follow the same rules?
A. Some but not all. Approved schools must comply with many KSHSAA rules and account for this in their application each year. Approved schools may deviate from KSHSAA rules in areas such as; scholastic eligibility requirements, transfer, number of games, length of seasons etc. Remember, KSHSAA member schools must conduct their competitions in accordance with National Federation playing rules.

Q. How do I know if a school is on the KSHSAA Approved List?
A. The KSHSAA Senior High Directory lists all approved schools known at press time in the back of the publication. Beginning August 2008, the KSHSAA website www.kshsaa.org will carry a list of all approved schools which will be continuously updated.

Q. Does a game with an approved school count as one of a member school’s allowed competitions?
A. Yes. A contest with a KSHSAA approved school counts as one of the member school’s allowed games for the season.

Q. If we play a game against an approved school, does it count on our record for post season?
A. Yes. The game counts as a win or loss in determining your final season record for post season seeding.

Q. If we play an approved school, is our KSHSAA catastrophe insurance policy in effect?
A. The KSHSAA catastrophe and liability insurance plan will cover the Association member school, but it does not extend coverage to the approved school. Member schools are advised to discuss with risk management advisors as to whether this creates concerns.

Q. What about contract enforceability?
A. Since approved schools are not members of the KSHSAA, there is no means to force approved schools to honor game contracts.

Q. Once an approved school, always an approved school?
A. No. Schools apply for approved status annually. By August schools desiring approved status should have completed the process. If they have not, they are not eligible to compete with KSHSAA member schools.

Q. May middle and junior high schools play against non-member schools?
A. Yes. The restriction on senior high member schools does not apply to middle and junior high schools. There is no such thing as an approved school at the middle and junior high school level.