OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, took a deep dive look into the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) during an interim study held this week before the House Common Education Committee Burns, a former public school teacher and coach, requested the study to examine discrepancies in policies related to the eligibility of student athletes who transfer from one school to another, specifically Rule 8 in the OSSAA manual as it pertains to Title 70. He also questioned the organization’s finances and its overall purpose.“I believe the OSSAA has become out of control, taking money from parents and schools to fund their investment firm while dictating parental choice all at the expense of children,” Burns said. “Why do we allow the OSSAA to restrict the educational experience of the kids in our state?”The OSSAA is made up of more than 430 school districts. In addition to high school athletics, the association also oversees competition in other areas such as speech and debate, music and electronic sports. The association is governed by a 12-member board representing school districts from across the state.Burns pointed to the fact that according to nonprofit tracker ProPublica, the OSSAA reported almost $6 million in revenue for fiscal year 2021, with the executive director making $173,891, plus 18% of his salary as a retirement benefit that can be accessed six months after retirement. Other directors’ salaries ranged from $111,900 down to $63,953, with other employees making between $49,850 to 35,000.He told committee members and other attendees not to take his word for these claims, but instead shared the words of parents who have reached out to him through letters and other forms of communication.One parent wrote that it was clear there was no interest in collaboration with parents even to benefit student athletes. He said he knew of several parents who had petitioned OSSAA for hardship waivers to transfer their children to other schools, but waivers were only awarded after the parents engaged legal counsel.Several parents spoke during the study detailing their experience in trying to get a hardship waiver granted by OSSAA only to have their children classified as ineligible for a year when they moved schools.Burns said currently, if a student athlete transfers to a school district outside of where they live, that student has to sit out a year before being eligible to participate in their chosen sport. This takes away an entire ...
