Lipscomb athletic director Mike Roller speaks to the media during the TSSAA’s July 16 Legislative Council meeting.
Lipscomb Academy athletic director Mike Roller and Goodpasture principal Lindsey Judd were among the six private school administrators recently elected to serve on the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Board of Control and Legislative Council.
Roller, along with Knoxville Webb athletic director David Meske and Jackson Christian principal Scott Gatlin, were chosen to fill the three recently created independent school seats on the Board of Control — one for each of the TSSAA’s three Grand Divisions: Middle, East and West.
Judd (Middle), McCallie principal Kenny Sholl (East) and Harding Academy athletic director Kevin Starks (West) were elected to the Legislative Council.
“A portion of the TSSAA is made up of independent schools, and now they’ll have representation on the board and on legislative council,” Roller said. “Obviously the legislative council thought it was needed because they voted in favor of it, and I agreed with them. I think it’s a wise decision.”
The Legislative Council can make changes to the TSSAA bylaws, and the Board of Control enforces the bylaws.
At its July 16 meeting, the formerly nine-member Legislative Council passed a proposal to change Articles III and IV of the TSSAA Constitution, adding three independent representatives to both the board and council.
Prior to its passage, the last private school representative to serve on the board or council was former Franklin Road Academy administrator Steve Harris, who served on the council from 2003-12.
“I think the people that have been in there, even though they work at public schools, they’ve represented private schools as well as public schools,” Roller added. “I think the Board of Control and Legislative Council have always done a good job of trying to take all of the school into consideration, and I hope we’ll do that going forward.”
TSSAA vote is good day for private schools
At that same July 16 meeting, the council voted down a complete public-private split by a 5-4 margin. Instead, the council passed five proposals at a specially called Sept. 1 meeting, altering the association’s bylaws regarding financial aid in hopes of creating a fair and level playing field between public and private schools in Division I.
Those changes, which could force some of the 24 Division I private schools to join Division II, will take affect beginning with the 2017-18 school year.
In addition to the six independent school spots being filled, three new Board of Control members were elected — Station Camp principal Art Crook in District 5, West Carroll principal and athletic director Dexter Williams in District 7 and Mitchell principal Kevin Meeks in District 9.
Science Hill athletic Keith Turner was re-elected to the District 1 spot.
Memphis Central principal Greg McCullough, who previously served on the council, was elected to the Board of Control, representing District 9, while District 3 and 4 representatives, Tommy Layne and Jerry Mathis, were both re-elected.
The next scheduled Board of Control meeting is set for Nov. 12. The possibility of adding background checks for referees is on the agenda. The next Legislative Council meeting is slated for Dec. 9.
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TSSAA council votes down public-private split
Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.