HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A resolution urging the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to consider separate playoffs for public schools and private/charter schools took a key step in the state legislature this week.
The resolution passed the Pa. House Commerce Committee, 24-1.
Centre County Democratic state Rep. Scott Conklin pointed out the competitive imbalance of public schools, where a player needs to live within the district boundary, compared to private and charter schools, which have no boundary limitations and can pull players from anywhere.
“We have one football team that never plays a school within Pennsylvania until the playoffs at the end of the year, and then they mercy-rule every team they play,” he said, adding that the resolution just asks the PIAA to consider the change.
“We want the boundary schools and the non-boundary schools to be in their own competitive leagues. One's a national all-star, one's your local kids.”
When asked why this was in the Commerce Committee, which Conklin chairs, and not Education, he said a similar bill he introduced in the latter committee has been stuck since January.
Supporters of dual playoffs noted that in high school basketball, private and charter schools won 27 of the 36 state titles in the past three years, compared to just nine for public schools. And in football, St. Joe’s Prep played in the state championship every year since the PIAA expanded to six classifications, going 6-2, and winning the championship by an average of 40 points.