House committee to examine Missouri activities association

A Missouri House of Representatives committee today began a two-day discussion examining the state association that governs high school sports.

Rep. Steve Cookson, who chairs the 19-member committee, said the group will examine the Missouri State High School Activities Association’s “financial practices, compliance with the Missouri Sunshine Law and other transparency policies, student safety and compliance with the organization’s own bylaws and policies,” according to the Springfield News-Leader.

The House website describes the committee’s purpose to “track and compare the progress of previously recommended MSHSAA reformation with the 2007 Interim Committee on MSHSAA Reform Report and Recommendations.”

From the Springfield News-Leader:

The 2007 committee examined who, if anyone, MSHSAA employees or committee members were accountable to, how potential policy violations by a school are reported to the state organization, and academic eligibility standards, among other topics.

“My hope is that representatives from MSHSAA will be fully compliant in answering our questions and providing the information we need to fully assess how effective they have been in implementing the suggested changes,” Cookson said.

A 2015 independent audit of the activities association showed approximately $7.17 million in spending in the last fiscal year compared to just more than $7.2 million in total revenue. MSHSAA’s end-of-year assets climbed from about $3.97 million to $4 million.

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