– By Geoff Rushton, StateCollege.com
The Pennsylvania House on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a Centre County representative’s bill that would allow the PIAA to have separate playoffs for public and private high school sports.
The bill, introduced by state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, passed with bipartisan support by a margin of 178 to 23. HB 41 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
If signed into law, the measure would amend the school code to allow the PIAA to establish separate playoffs for boundary and non-boundary schools. Boundary schools are public schools that can only enroll students who reside within their defined district, while non-boundary schools are private, parochial and charter schools that are not subject to such limitations.
Supporters of the bill have long said that the current system is unfair and unsafe for public schools, as private schools that can recruit student-athletes from anywhere and have largely dominated championships in football and basketball in recent years.
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