FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2001
Jefferson population explosion results in last-minute classification shuffle
GAINESVILLE – News of a dramatic increase in student population at Jefferson High School in Tampa has resulted in the school’s immediate reassignment in classification.
The Hillsborough County District Office last October projected the school would begin the 2001-02 school year with 790 students in the 9th through 11th grades due to the opening of neighboring Alonso High School. The FHSAA Office, however, was notified on Wednesday, Aug. 8 that the school’s actual opening day enrollment was approximately 1,100 students in the 9th through 11th grades. That number is expected to increase to almost 1,400 students by the time the official count is submitted to the FHSAA Office in October. The dramatic increase in population over the original projection is due to a new magnet program being placed at the school. The students enrolling in the magnet program replaced the students lost to Alonso.
News of the population increase required the FHSAA Office by regulation to immediately reassign Jefferson from Class 2A District 7 to Class 4A District 8 in football. This led to a flurry of activity to rework the school’s entire schedule just two weeks before opening day so that it would be eligible to compete in the FHSAA State Football Series.
“Thanks to the cooperative efforts of Principal Dan Riveiro and his staff, Hillsborough County Director of Athletics Vernon Korhn, the principals and athletic directors at other Hillsborough County schools in Class 4A, and the principals and athletic directors at the four private schools in the district to which Jefferson was originally assigned, we are pleased to announce that Jefferson High School has successfully been rescheduled into Class 4A District 8 and will be eligible to compete in the 2002 FHSAA State Football Series,” said Commissioner Robert W. Hughes. “This was no small task and everyone involved is to be commended. I especially would like to commend Class 2A District 7 members Berkeley Preparatory School, St. Petersburg Catholic High School and Tampa Catholic High School for agreeing to release Jefferson from game contracts so that it could schedule the necessary schools in Class 4A District 8.”
Hughes added: “It’s so often said that ‘we’re in it for the kids’ that its almost become cliché. But this situation proves that we – this association and its member schools – really are. Many schools proved willing to make adjustments to their schedules at the last minute so that the young men on Jefferson’s football team would not be denied an opportunity to compete for a state title.”
Jefferson has been reassigned to new classifications and districts in other sports as well. Those assignments are as follows:
• From Class 3A District 9 to Class 4A District 9 in baseball, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball and girls volleyball;
• From Class A District 6 to Class 2A District 9 in girls soccer and boys soccer;
• From Class 2A District 5 to Class 3A District 4 in cross country;
• From Class A District 10 to Class 2A District 9 in golf;
• From Class A District 6 to Class 2A District 7 in swimming & diving; and
• From Class A District 10 to Class 2A District 7 in wrestling.
Classification and district assignments have not yet been finalized in the sports of tennis and track & field.
Jefferson officials will be working to reschedule the necessary district matches and games in the team sports of girls basketball, boys basketball, girls soccer, boys soccer and girls volleyball. The FHSAA Office has informed them that if they are unsuccessful, alternative methods of seeding the district tournaments in those sports will be explored. Baseball and softball schedules are not impacted by the reassignment. The scheduling meetings in those sports are scheduled for later this month. Mandatory district competition is not required in individual sports.
The Florida High School Activities Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of 632 middle, junior and senior high schools.
Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
