Early classifications released
RENTON – The WIAA Executive Board moved a step closer Monday to finalizing the makeup of the new six classification system in the fall of 2006.
The WIAA released a preliminary breakdown of schools by classifications, and it included a few surprises (see accompanying list).
The Greater Spokane League will be more 4A-centric than projected, as Rogers and Shadle Park each reported numbers that keep them in the 4A ranks. Both had expected to drop to 3A. Cheney, Clarkston and West Valley, as expected, will drop to 2A in 2006 and out of the GSL.
Other changes which could happen include Lakeside dropping to 1A, only 10 area schools becoming part of the 2B class and Wilbur-Creston, Tekoa-Oakesdale and Garfield-Palouse all staying in the smallest class, which will be called 1B.
The WIAA’s changes were motivated by a desire to even-out the classifications (the classifications currently range from a high of 111 B schools and 91 4A schools to a low of 50 2A schools) and to split up the B classification.
Last April the WIAA’s Representative Assembly approved a formula that created two B classifications, each consisting of half of the high schools with the lowest 32 percent of enrollment. The remaining 68 percent was split evenly among four classifications.
The enrollment cutoff numbers established in 2006 will last eight years, with the schools’ classifications adjusted every two years.
Because the organization expects a number of schools to “opt-up,” or play in a classification above their enrollment numbers, the Board agreed Monday, the final day of its two-day December meetings, to start off with a goal of 64 schools in each of the 4A and 3A ranks and 65 in 2A and 1A. That was not met, however, as two schools at the 1A cutoff line reported the same attendance and both were preliminarily put in the 2B ranks.
Schools have until Dec. 15 to notify the WIAA of their intent to opt-up or to ask for corrections of their enrollment number. The Executive Board expects to finalize the classifications for the school years starting in the fall 2006 and fall of 2007 by Dec. 20.
Rogers, Shadle Park and Ferris’ in-building number were low enough for 3A status, but the school district has enough alternative school enrollees, which are averaged throughout the district, to bump them up to 4A, according to Jim Meyerhoff, the WIAA’s Assistant Executive Director in charge of the process.
Gonzaga Prep, which falls in the 2A ranks, will opt-up to 4A, according to Principal Al Falkner, a member of the Executive Board.
The makeup of the Big Nine Conference in central Washington won’t be known for sure until all opt-up decisions are made, which may affect the decisions of some of the Spokane 4A and 3A schools.
Kamiakin, a member of the Kennewick School District, and Moses Lake anchored the bottom of the 4A list. Both had been projected as 3A schools, and the Kennewick district had proposed making the Big Nine a combined 4A/3A league like the current makeup of the GSL. But the Kennewick district has also expressed a desire to keep all three district high schools (including Kennewick and Southridge) in the same classification.
“I’m warning you right now, you will be hearing from your schools about the opt-up issue,” WIAA director Mike Colbrese told the board after the numbers were handed out. “I’ve heard a desire to reduce or eliminate the opt-up option from every district in the state.”
Another decision that could affect the smaller schools decision whether to opt-up was not addressed.
Some B schools have expressed an interest in being in whichever B classification will hold its basketball tournament in Spokane.
That question will not be answered before the opt-up deadline, as the board deferred until January decisions on most state tournaments after this year. The future of Spokane’s B Tournament will be decided then.
On Sunday, Tacoma had presented a plan to host an all-classifications volleyball tournament (similar to Mat Classic, the wrestling championships) in the Tacoma Dome.
The proposal intrigued the board, but it decided, along with all bids, more study was warranted.
The board had to deal with three spring state championships that were homeless, and one caused quite a discussion.
The State 4A/3A baseball championship is headed to Safeco Field, despite the Mariners’ bid being over $15,000 more than the organization has ever spent on the championships.
The discussion, spearheaded by Falkner, a former Prep baseball coach, revolved around the unique opportunity for prep athletes and the opportunity to promote all state high school athletics.
As part of the bid, the Mariners agreed to promote the championships on their radio and TV broadcasts as well as honoring the baseball and softball champions prior to a home game.
“As I said yesterday, this process is a combination of art, science and voodoo,” Colbrese said, “but it is also a collective voice on what you folks think is the direction this organization should take.”
The board also awarded 4A tennis to Vancouver for this year, with an option on two more, and continued for one more year a relationship with Eastern Washington University for the 2A/1A/B track meet.