For the 2020-21 school year, Athletic Director Tim Chevalier has proposed a change in the academic requirements for Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 10-week grading period.

According to the proposal, any student with an “F” at the 10-week grade checks, which would be at the end of Quarter 1 and Quarter 3, would not be disqualified from playing their sport. The players would be placed on a five-week probationary period where they must submit weekly grade checks of their failed class to the office of the Athletic Director. If the player is not earning a “D” or higher at the end of the period or fails to turn in one of the weekly grade checks, eligibility will be lost for the rest of the season. 

“In my two years as the Athletic Director (AD), I have observed 14 student-athletes with a 2.0 GPA or higher lose eligibility due to a[n] “F” on their 10-week grade check (Quarter 1 & 3).  I have witnessed these at-risk students lose interest (and incentive to pass) in their classes because they no longer have the something that connects them to OPHS and their sport,” Chevalier wrote in his proposal to change the current rule. “As a classroom teacher with a rigorous curriculum and high expectations for my students, I understand that a student may start slow (even fail) but eventually earn a passing grade by the end of the semester.”

Track and cross-country runner Ethan Land shared his support for the proposal.

“I think [the change] is totally fair. I never found it fair that kids were disqualified in the first couple [of] weeks [due to their early grades]. I think there should be a certain amount of time that all athletes should be able to participate until the rule of ‘if you have an F, you can’t play,’” Land said.

This would only apply to students that have one “F” at the end of the 10 week grading period and have 2.0 or higher GPA. The “F” rule still applies at the end of the semester where there can be no “F” and a GPA of 2.0 or higher for eligibility.

“[For] Fall Sports, I use Semester 2 grades from the previous school year to determine initial eligibility and I use Semester 1 10-week grades (Quarter 1) to determine ongoing eligibility. [For] Winter Sports, I use Semester 1 10-week grades (Quarter 1) to determine initial eligibility and I use Semester 1 grades to determine ongoing eligibility. [For] Spring Sports, I use Semester 1 grades to determine initial eligibility and I use Semester 2 10-week grades (Quarter 3) to determine ongoing eligibility,” Chevalier wrote.
This change in policy is still said to be stricter than other CCL schools and the CIF Policy.