Small Schools

Science Olympiad National Policy on Small Schools

A Team Endeavor

Science Olympiad requires all participants in Science Olympiad competitions to participate as members of a team, not as individuals.

Public School Students

It is recommended that all public school students may participate in Science Olympiad only as members of a team that is formed in the local public school that they attend. However, very small schools in the same state may combine students to form one team if and only if the total enrollment of the combined schools is less than 300 students. This policy only applies to public schools.

Registering and Qualifying Teams

The state Science Olympiad organization is responsible for registering and qualifying all Science Olympiad teams. In the case of a public school Science Olympiad team, a roster signed by the principal of the school is considered proper validation.  

Investigation of Team Qualifications

If a state Science Olympiad organization suspects that a team is comprised of students who are not members of that school’s student body, the Science Olympiad State Director may ask the coach to provide verification of that team’s qualifications as follows:    

• A public school student’s qualification may be verified by some form of school identification, school roster, recent report card, evidence of residence in the school district or other similar documents appropriate to the situation.  

Sanctions for Non-Qualified Participation

If, after investigation, the State Director determines that a team or its members are not qualified, it may impose a sanction that may include disqualification of a student team member, disqualification of a team coach, or a team’s disqualification from a tournament. In the event of multiple cases of disqualification, a coach or team may be barred from future competition.

Amended July 20, 2008
Original Adoption 1987
Science Olympiad Executive Board