COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools have passed all eight proposed revisions to the OHSAA Bylaws, Executive Director Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D., announced Wednesday. The ballot counting procedure was conducted at the OHSAA office Wednesday following the deadline for schools to submit ballots Tuesday at 4 p.m.
The approved changes will go into effect August 1 unless otherwise noted. A simple majority approval by member schools required for a proposed amendment to be adopted.
Among the approved referendum items is a change to the consequence for students who do not meet one of the transfer bylaw exceptions. Previously, a student would sit out the first half of the season of the sports that the student played in the last 12 months. The change passed by the membership, effective immediately, will cause the student to sit out the second half of the season and the OHSAA postseason tournament.
The OHSAA’s annual referendum voting and District Athletic Board election period is from May 1-15. Each member school has one vote, which is cast by the principal. After 809 ballots were mailed to member high schools in late April, 697 valid ballots were returned for a voter turnout of 86 percent.