Dear Marion Families,
As many of you may be aware, Iowa recently enacted HF2591, which allows 8th grade students to participate in high school athletics.
We understand that this change may generate questions from parents, students, and coaches as everyone works to understand how the new law will be implemented. At this time, Marion is in the process of reviewing the legislation and developing procedures that align with both the law and the best interests of our student-athletes and athletic programs.
While we will not be implementing a blanket policy that automatically places all 8th grade students up to the high school level, we do recognize that there may be situations where consideration is appropriate. Any potential opportunity for an 8th grade student to participate at the high school level will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Factors for such consideration may include, but are not limited to, compliance with all applicable Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) rules, student safety/readiness/overall well-being, roster capacity and program needs, facility capacity, coaching capacity, and eligibility requirements.
As state associations continue to provide guidance, we encourage families to review the HF2591 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document developed by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) and the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). This resource helps address many of the common questions regarding eligibility, participation, and implementation.
That resource can be found here: IGHSAU/IHSAA - 8th Grade FAQ
We appreciate your patience as we work through this process and establish clear expectations for Marion students and families. Our goal is to make thoughtful decisions that support student-athletes while maintaining the integrity of our athletic programs.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Scott Kriegel, High School Activities Director.
Thank you for your continued support of Marion activities and athletics.
Go Wolves!