The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive board held its first of 10 meetings for the 2015-16 school year at the AIA's office in Phoenix. 

During Monday’s meeting, the board approved the hiring of four AIA personnel, including new assistant executive director David Hines, and allowed Arizona high schools and districts to determine if they want to participate in a national bowl-like football series, if selected.

According to feedback the AIA received from Division I football coaches, schools want to play in the Burger King State Championship Bowl Series if one of their teams is selected after Arizona’s high school state championship games. The hiring process of Hines was the topic of an article.

The AIA released a statement with executive board comments in response to the article.

The statement: 

On August 13, 2015, azcentral published an article by Scott Bordow stating that the AIA Executive Board members are upset with Executive Director Harold Slemmer. Board President Mike DeLaO responded, “As the President of the AIA Executive Board, I feel this is an inaccurate portrayal. Harold has served the organization for 16 years with integrity. My experience of Harold is that he listens to members, families and community leaders with an intention to collaborate and deliver the best possible services. We support his leadership, and he has our vote of confidence. If he didn’t, he would not be the Executive Director.”

The Executive Board is not involved with the day to day operations but oversees the policies and bylaws by which the association is managed. With the exception of the Executive Director position, which reports to the Board, the Executive Board does not get involved with day to day operations, hiring, managing or terminating staff. This is a common and best practice used in most for-profit and not-for -profit organizations. The AIA Bylaws (7.2) give the Executive Director the authority to hire and manage staff as needed to fulfill the associations obligations and provide services to our members.  

Dr. Anna Battle, Executive Board Vice President added, “We all agree that the appointment of a new Executive Director last year, while within the structure of the bylaw, was made prematurely. It was an unfortunate situation for everyone involved, but we believe that it created an opportunity to open lines of communications with our member schools. As we convene for a new school year, we will be looking for ways to expand communications, increase transparency and engage with our member schools in new and meaningful ways. We will also review and refine our governance and will be launching a search for an Executive Director to take over when Harold retires in 2017 with a national, open, and transparent search process that brings in the best possible candidate.”  

The executive board further addressed the AIA’s hiring process during Monday’s meeting.

“As board members, we made some mistakes, but we are more transparent,” board member Sister Lynn Winsor said.

Class 3A Conference board member Jacob Holiday said he stood by what he said in the article.

“We need to do better,” Holiday said. “We need to move forward and hold ourselves accountable.”

Winsor as well other board members continued to express their confidence in Dr. Slemmer and the job the board has done.  

The board decided that from now on a letter of intent to hire will be given to a potential AIA employee, stating that the board needs to approve the hiring before it becomes official.

The executive director can still put the potential employee to work prior to board approval.  

On Monday, the board also OK’d the AIA’s hiring of Jessica Garcia (front office assistant), Amy Richmond (accounting assistant) and Marie Espino (officials assistant).

Sunnyside wrestling receives advisement

The board placed Sunnyside’s wrestling program on advisement for one year for competing with an ineligible wrestler during the 2014-15 school year.

The wrestler lived out of the school’s boundary, according to the violation report Sunnyside self reported. The school forfeited the meets the ineligible student competed in.

A Sunnyside representative requested that the board rescind the forfeits based on the allegedly false lease and drivers license information the parents of the students gave Sunnyside. The board tabled the forfeit request to September’s board meeting to allow Sunnyside to gather more information.

The ineligible wrestler finished second at state in his division as a freshman, helping Sunnyside finish second in Division I last year.     

If the forfeits aren’t rescinded, Sunnyside will have to vacate its second place finish at state. Advisement is the least severe punishment a school can receive from the AIA.

Dr. Slemmer’s executive director report

Dr. Slemmer said during his report that Gilbert Christian (1A), Scottsdale Preparatory (2A), Page (3A), Catalina Foothills (4A), and Desert Vista (1A) will receive their 2014-15 Overall Excellence Award banners during this school year.

The Directors’ Cup 1A-3A Award went to Estrella Foothills and Corona del Sol received the 4A-5A award at the AIA’s 2014-15 annual awards luncheon.

---The Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s meeting will be held Sept. 12-15 in Prescott. Sister Lynn is expecting a record number of people to sign up for the event, she said.

Sister Lynn talked about the possibility of including the AIAAA as an ex officio, non-voting member of the AIA board.

---The AIA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee is preparing to send out a survey to the AIA’s member schools, seeking to information to increase the health and safety of its athletes.

The director of the AIA’s SMAC, Dr. Javier Cardenas, was elected to the National Board of Sports and Medicine Committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations.  

More AIA board news

The board granted the exception to allow Hamilton’s football coaching staff, including head coach Steve Belles, to coach in the All-American Bowl in Anaheim, Calif. from Dec. 28-Jan. 4, 2016.

---Sandra Day O’Connor and Brophy football were given the OK to play a Week Zero game this week.

---The board will receive in September the three names of 2A Conference candidates that will vie for the board member spot that is currently open.

---The board approved the student age rule hardship appeals from Combs and Globe High Schools.

---The board will meet Sept. 1 and Sept. 8 to go over the hardship appeals for the Fall sports.     

---Alchesay’s request to cancel its junior varsity baseball and softball contests with Superior and Mogollon was approved.

---The AIA’s legislative council meetings will be held on Sept. 25 and March 4.

---The board approved the list of certified teachers that private, parochial, BIA, college prep, and special function school have on staff.

---The board talked about eliminating the “antiquated” bylaw that requests the certified teachers list from those schools. The bylaw is not necessary because the legislature has changed the hiring practices of charter schools, which don’t have to hire anybody that is certified to coach or teach, Dr. Slemmer said.

The AIA has its own certification coaching process that coaches must complete.

--- The board approved the list that the Council on Standards for International Education Travel provided for granting J1 visas to foreign students.

The CSIET certifies foreign exchange companies.

---Additional game requests that were approved:

Highland – an additional varsity girls volleyball and girls soccer game to help fill Corona del Sol’s schedule.

Marcos de Niza – an additional varsity football game to help fill Mountain Pointe’s schedule.

Payson – an additional girls soccer game to help fill Northland Prep’s schedule.

Perry – an additional badminton game to help fill Marcos de Niza’s schedule.

Pusch Ridge – an additional B/G basketball game to help fill Tombstone’s schedule.

Globe – an additional softball game to help fill Willcox’s schedule.

Brophy – an additional basketball game to help fill Gilbert Christian’s schedule.

Flagstaff – an additional volleyball game to help fill Monument Valley’s schedule.

Betty Fairfax – an additional FR/JV football game to help fill Paradise Valley’s schedule.

Red Mountain – an additional soccer game to help fill Mesquite’s schedule.

Boulder Creek – an additional baseball game to help fill Mountain Ridge’s schedule.

Williams Field – an additional Fr. football game to help fill Casteel High’s schedule.

School violations

The activities programs of Horizon Honors and Camp Verde were given a warning for having an out of boundary home-schooled student play sports and a charter school student practice during Spring drills, respectively.

---Cactus Shadows’ activities program was placed on advisement for allowing a transfer student from an associate member school to participate on its JV volleyball team.

---Barry Goldwater was also placed on advisement after a girl’s basketball coach had her team use Barry Goldwater uniforms during a club basketball tournament.

---Higley also received an advisement for conducting spiritline tryouts on a day it wasn’t supposed to.