Middle School athletic eligibility requirements:

• student must be legally enrolled at the school

• student must reside with parent or legal custodian in that school's attendance zone or be assigned to the school by the Board of Education

• student must be in the 7th or 8th grade (6th graders are not eligible to participate in athletics)

• student must meet local and state standards for promotion from the previous grade

• student must have passed a minimum of 4 classes (at least 3 of those must be core courses [Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts] plus 1 Encore class) from the previous semester

• students will forfeit athletic eligibility when unlawful/unexcused absences, out-of-school suspensions, or any combination of unlawful/unexcused absences and out of-school suspensions during the previous semester exceed ten (10) days (any absences from the previous semester verified to be excused/lawful by the student’s school by the last day of that semester will not be considered). No process will exist to request a waiver of unexcused/unlawful absences or out-of-school suspensions. (any notes excusing absences MUST BE submitted to the school by the last school day of the semester.  No notes to excuse absences for athletic eligibility purposes can be submitted after the last day of the semester during which the absence occurred)

• students not academically eligible at the beginning of the semester are not eligible at any time during that semester.  (1) Exception: a student who receives an incomplete which causes him/her to fail to meet minimum scholastic requirements or is awaiting a final grade due to any state-mandated testing is ineligible until the course is satisfactorily completed and a final grade is recorded, and eligibility can be restored immediately. NOTE: credit-recovery programs CANNOT be used to regain athletic eligiblity during that semester in which credit-recovery is completed.
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• student can only participate in middle school athletics 6 semesters after first entering the 6th grade (According to NC DPI Manual: Eligibility begins for all students with initial entry into the sixth grade regardless of: the school organization pattern and/or the decision of the LEA/Charter to allow 6th grade participation in athletics)

• student cannot turn 15 years of age on or before August 31 of the current academic year

• student must receive a medical examination each academic year from a duly licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant

• student and his/her parent must sign the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness form prior to participating in any tryout, practice or contest (new form must be signed each academic year)

• student cannot have been convicted of a felony, or any criminal offense that would have been a felony if committed by an adult

NOTE: An athlete becomes eligible or ineligible on the first day of the new semester