NMAA votes to give students clean slate

Plenty remains to be decided regarding prep sports in New Mexico, but the New Mexico Activities Association has indicated when they do return, every student will have eligibility.

The NMAA board voted Friday to give all students a clean academic slate entering the 2020-21 school year.

“They’ll get a clean slate for the first nine weeks of the school year,” Portales Athletic Director Mark Gallegos said. “They’ll get a clean slate to start fall sports, but at the nine-week mark you have to have a 2.0 (grade-point average) with no Fs.”

NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez said many students have fallen behind since schools went to learn-at-home models, with some families lacking internet access and others simply refusing to do online schooling. Additionally, there is not uniformity with some students only being graded by pass/fail, some students getting letter grades and some students in dual credit courses with area colleges.

Previously, clean academic slates were only granted to incoming eighth- and ninth-graders.

The board also allowed the NMAA staff to eventually oversee coaching activities in the offseason. Gallegos said nothing will take place through May 28, which the NMAA had previously designated as a closed period.

“At the time, the NMAA will probably put forth some guidelines for what the summer will look like,” Gallegos said. “That all depends on the information we get from the governor’s office and the department of health.”

Any sports guidelines given by the state this week, Gallegos said, only apply to organizations that aren’t affiliated with NMAA schools.

Also, Gallegos said, students in some non-sports activities like FFA and FCCLA were given permission to attend virtual competitions and conferences if those organizations are offering them.