The Henrico County School Board voted Thursday to approve a new rule that will require high school athletes to earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 in order to play interscholastic sports.
Next year will serve as a test period for GPA requirement, with enforcement beginning in the fall season of the 2014-15 school year.
The School Board voted 4-1 to approve a higher standard than what’s required by the Virginia High School League, which simply states that students be enrolled in at least five subjects and have passed five subjects in the previous semester. The stricter rule has been under consideration since early this year.
Board member Diana D. Winston, of the Three Chopt District, voted no due to a logistical concern.
“My vote was essentially just a vote not in favor of the form of the policy,” Winston said. “There's no stronger advocate than all five of us on this board about raising the standards for athletes in this county.”
Winston felt that the rule should be enacted as a board policy rather than a school-system regulation, which she said is easier to change. Policies are set by the School Board, while regulations can be changed with the approval of administration leadership.
Students will have the option of using a one-time waiver of the rule for one semester during their high school years. The requirement can be met with either a semester or cumulative GPA.
The rule does not apply to rising freshman, who do not have a calculated GPA.
