Illinois House members considering ways to make high school transfers easier for athletes

Posted on November 21, 2024

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Maybe it should be easier to transfer high schools if you are an athlete.

That’s certainly what Chicago parent Khalilah Johnson thinks, based on her daughter’s experience.

“After her freshman your, she transferred from a Catholic school to a public school in the city of Chicago,” Johnson told a House education committee Wednesday. “She was immediately denied eligibility after transferring. The reason given was that she was ineligible for a year because she did not move. That wasn’t the case. My daughter actually did move after witnessing a shooting on our block.”

There is no bill yet, but if there is one, State Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) will probably sponsor it.

“All of these high schools are coming together to create equality?” Lilly asked IHSA executives. “I’m sorry, that hasn’t been happening for centuries.”

Committee members say they just want a fair system.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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