Wv Coaches Hope School Can Qualify For 2a Level

While three of the Valley’s high schools are committed to or are leaning toward athletic membership in the Class 4A Greater Spokane League, West Valley remains in limbo.

The school is seeking a waiver of its 3A classification and has been granted a hearing on Nov. 5.

“Right now, by all the rules of the game today, we’re still 3A,” said WV athletic director Wayne McKnight. “We’re trying to find out, clearly, all our choices.”

If West Valley coaches had their druthers, the school would compete at the 2A level.

West Valley’s enrollment of 634 students is second smallest among area 3A schools. The cutoff for 2A classification is 600 students.

However, that West Valley High enrollment number includes 76 students who attend the West Valley School District’s alternative high school. While the alternative high school students count, none participates in sports.

Coaches have said the school will be at a competitive disadvantage if it is required to play at the 3A level.

McKnight has spent six months working on a variety of options.

First is the November appeal.

“If we win we could go 2A,” said McKnight.

The second option is to maintain the Frontier League in its present seven-team alignment.

“Our recommendation last April was to hold it together, at least for one more allocation period,” said McKnight.

Another possibility was a 4A-3A GSL alliance. That league’s principals voted, however that any teams coming in must do so as 4A.

Fourth option is an 11-team 3A-2A alliance made up of schools from the present Frontier League and Northeast A League, plus some Idaho schools.

Comparably sized schools would play each other.

“That seems to formulate well,” said McKnight.

The school is still struggling with which way to go, said McKnight.

“West Valley is not looking at things as a Band-Aid approach,” he said, “but for the long haul.”

, DataTimes