WIAA shuffles classes

AUBURN – In a move that surprised Executive Director Mike Colbrese, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Representative Assembly on Friday passed an amendment that will change the way schools are classified for athletic competition.

Starting with the 2006-07 academic year, each of the Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A levels will get 18 percent of the state’s high schools. Twenty-eight percent of the state’s high schools will be put in Class B.

Currently, classes are determined by set numbers. Schools with official enrollments of 1,201 or more in grades 10 through 12 are classified in 4A, followed by 3A (601-1,200), 2A (301-600), 1A (151-300) and B (1-150). The changes could impact several area schools depending on how much enrollments change over the next two years.

“I was totally surprised by the passage of the classification amendment,” Colbrese said after the assembly, which was held at Emerald Downs. “The people I’d been talking to throughout the year, they didn’t feel like it was a good amendment. Maybe the people talking to me were the only ones who didn’t want it.”

According to Colbrese, representatives from several 2A schools were concerned about the disparity in enrollment numbers that could occur. If the system were to go into effect for next year, Class 2A would encompass schools with between 311-774 students instead of 301-600. Though some likely would opt to move up a classification – which will still be allowed – the likes of O’Dea, Kennedy, Lynden and Rainier Beach technically would be 2A schools. Another amendment, which would have called for an additional class for football only, failed by a landslide.

Though there are concerns about the new system, there were even more with the old one. The 4A classification continues to grow while the 2A and 1A are shrinking. There will be 91 4A schools next year and 104 in 2A and 1A combined. The unbalanced numbers have made it difficult for 4A teams to qualify for the postseason. This year, only two of 16 Northwest District 4A schools can qualify for the state playoffs. Meanwhile, two of six 1A schools qualified for the state football playoffs along with three of 11 3A schools.

“People saw that if something wasn’t done it was going to get further out of whack,” said Colbrese, who noted that the percentages will be reconsidered every eight years.

If the new standards were applied to current enrollment figures, seven area high schools – and 53 of the 398 schools in the state – would move to new classifications.

Arlington, Jackson and Everett would move from 4A to 3A. Meadowdale, which shifts to 4A in the fall, would end up back in 3A. Cedarcrest would move from 3A to 2A, as would South Whidbey, which is moving up to 3A next school year. Darrington would fall into the 1A category instead of B.

The amendment failed by three votes last year. According to Colbrese, it passed by three on Friday. Official counts weren’t available.

According to Kevin Griffin, an assistant executive director, a long-time staff member’s spouse was killed Friday in a car accident while the meetings were taking place and that weighed heavily at the gathering. A press release detailing the voting wasn’t issued on Friday as had been originally planned.

“We’re a little bit frazzled here right now,” Griffin said.

Still the assembly managed to pass several amendments, including:

Future amendments will need only a 60-percent majority instead of two-thirds. According to Colbrese, “a couple” of amendments would have gone through on Friday if the 60-percent rule had been in place. One of them, he said, was a change to team forfeitures when an ineligible player is used. If the amendment eventually passes, a team would not forfeit a contest if the team can prove “the contest would have been won” without the use of the ineligible player. Had the rule been in affect, the Jackson baseball team might not have been required to forfeit all of its victories for the 2002 baseball season.

Football players will need only 12 preseason practices to play in a game instead of 14 after an amendment submitted by the Edmonds District schools and Shorewood passed. Because the season starts a week earlier than it used to, some players haven’t been eligible for the first game of the season.

Physical examinations for athletes will be required every 24 months instead of every 13 months.

On Thursday, the assembly tabled a vote on having Star Track in Pasco in 2005 and 2006. Colbrese said representatives from Tacoma caused a delay in the voting by making some “attractive offers” to bring the meet back to Tacoma either at Mt. Tahoma High School or the Lincoln Bowl, where it was held prior to moving to Pasco for 2003. An amendment that would alter football and girls soccer state playoff brackets so that two Eastern Washington teams could potentially reach the state championship game survived its first reading. It could be passed in May or July, Colbrese said. That change also could keep Wesco teams from playing in the same half bracket as often.