Schools	Population Range	Difference
Class 6A	96 schools	2488-4742	2254
Class 5A	96 schools	1881-2487	606
Class 4A	96 schools	1332-1880	548
Class 3A	96 schools	520-1331	811
Class 2A*	96 schools	206-519	313
Class 1A*	141 schools	1-205	204

* – The 1A and 2A classifications will be combined in girls and boys soccer.


Pros: A slight deviation from the current plan in that the number of schools in the upper 5 classes simply has been increased from 90 to 96; spreads the growth of the Association over the past two years (37 schools) evenly over the 6 classes.

Cons: Results in continued large spread in student populations in Class 3A; may result in significant travel within some districts in certain classifications if schools within the district vote to play a 2-game rather than 1-game district schedule each year.


Option 2 ("108-108-108-80-80-All Remaining" Variant)

1. Amend Paragraph D2(a) of the Classification Policy as follows: “The total number of existing member senior high schools – regardless of the sports in which they sponsor programs – shall be ranked in order of student population and shall be assigned to basic classifications as follows: the 108 90 largest schools shall be assigned to Class 6A; the next 108 90 largest schools shall be assigned to Class 5A; the next 108 90 largest schools shall be assigned to Class 4A; the next 80 90 largest schools shall be assigned to Class 3A; the next 80 90 largest schools shall be assigned to Class 2A; and all remaining schools shall be assigned to Class 1A. The student population of the . . .. Once the dividing lines between classifications for a four-year term two-year period are determined, they shall not be changed during that four-year term two-year period.” Change all subsequent references to the number of schools within each classification accordingly.

2. Amend Paragraphs D3 and E3 of the Classification Policy as follows:
“(a) Schools in each classification – regardless of the sports in which they sponsor programs – shall be assigned to basic, or administrative, districts on a geographic basis. The actual competitive districts in each sport then shall be determined by deleting from each district the schools that do not commit to participate in the FHSAA State Series in that sport and making any other adjustments as may be necessary to ensure, when geographically feasible, a reasonable balance in the number of schools in each district in that sport. Under no circumstance shall Schools, therefore, may be shifted from one district to another by sport once the basic district assignments are finalized.
(b) The number of districts in each classification in a sport shall be determined by staff. The number of schools participating within the classification in the sport and their geographic proximity to each other shall be the determining factors. In the event that the number of districts result in vacancies on the tournament bracket within a regional complex, a blind draw shall be conducted to determine that districts whose representatives shall be awarded byes in the first year of the term. Byes within the regional complex then shall be rotated sequentially in subsequent years of the term.”

3. Replace all direct or indirect references to “two-year classification period” with “four-year classification term” throughout the policy.


Probable Breakdown of Classifications