INTRO & INFO2020-21 MSHSAA OFFICIAL HANDBOOK Page 11NEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR 2020-21COVID-19 Related QuestionsQ1. Will MSHSAA conduct sports/activities regular seasons or postseason events if schools are closed statewide to in-person learning (apart from regularly scheduled school breaks)?A1. If schools statewide are closed to in-person learning due to the corona virus pandemic, MSHSAA will be unable to allow for either a regular season or a post-season series in MSHSAA sports and activities. Q2. Will MSHSAA conduct sports/activities regular seasons or postseason events if schools are closed only in COVID-19 “hotspots” in our state?A2. If a majority of schools are open for in-person learning, efforts will be made to administer a regular season and postseason for those schools/students who are permitted to do so based on the guidelines of the local and state health departments. In this scenario, MSHSAA does not intend to revoke the participation opportunities for students who are able to take part. Q3. Based on changing conditions in regard to the pandemic, would MSHSAA consider conducting a sports/activities regular season in sports/activities deemed “lower- risk” for COVID-19 transmission while canceling athletics/activities considered “higher-risk?”A3. As of July 1, the Board of Directors believes it would not be in the best interest of our state to pick and choose which sports/activities would be permitted to continue to have a season while at the same time restricting other sports/activities from continuing due to public health concerns. Throughout the year, the Board will monitor and evaluate circumstances and consult with public health officials to make decisions in the best interest of all students. Q4. Might there be restrictions unique to our state – or regions of our state – that need to be taken into consideration when returning to activities and participation?A4. Yes. Since it is possible to have different areas of our state following a different set of guidelines/restrictions/allowances, it is quite possible that not all schools in Missouri will return to sports/activities at the same rate or under the same expectations, and some may need to halt participation during the year for a period of time if conditions warrant. Q5: Due to the corona virus pandemic, which hit Missouri in March of 2020, schools were forced to deliver education in a much different way for the remainder of the spring semester. Due to a variety of factors, some students were at an educational disadvantage. Has MSHSAA made any modifications to the academic standards for fall semester eligibility due to the difficulties schools faced in the spring semester, and the effect on student grades?A5: The MSHSAA Board voted in April to grant relief of the academic requirements for all high school students during the Fall Semester of the 2020-21 school year, and for all middle school students during the first grading period of the 2020-21 school year. For this stated period only, students who FAIL to meet the requirements of By-Law 2.3 in regard to credits received during the spring semester/last grading period of the 2019-20 school year will be viewed as academically eligible for the fall. However, schools may be more restrictive and rule a student ineligible due to either the provisions of By-Law 2.3 or a local policy if the administration believes the student has not academically earned the privilege to participate in sports and activities this fall
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