The GHSA Reclassification Committee will meet in August to vote on reclassification for the 2016-18 school years.
At this point, according to several northwest Georgia athletic administrators, that’s about all that’s known as the state heads into what promises to be several volatile weeks as rumors about about issues such as a public-private split in all classifications, multipliers assessed to city/open-enrollment schools and the creation of a super conference.
According to Gordon Lee athletic director and football coach Greg Ellis, there are seven proposals on the books. Ellis learned Monday that a meeting will be held July 20 in Thomaston to pare those to three before the August vote.
“Cutting the plans to three will expedite the process,” Ellis said. “The more plans you have, the less likely you’ll ever get anyone to agree.”
Ellis, who is among a growing faction in the state who would prefer a split among public and private schools in all classifications (Georgia currently splits Class A for the postseason), is hopeful progress will be made in July. However, the only thing he’s certain of is that parts of the state won’t be happy whichever way it turns out.
“I’m not sure which way they’re going, but I do know they will make some radical changes, because too many people have been complaining for too long,” he said. “It’s not going to be as fair in some places, but you’ve got to take care of the majority.”
Gordon Lee head coach Greg Ellis directs his men during practice in this 2004 file photo.Two plans emerged in May that would create a “Big 44” classification of the state’s largest 44 schools. This would eliminate the disparity that currently exists in Class AAAAAA, where that classification’s smaller schools often play programs that have 1,000 or more students. Class A, in each of the two proposals, would remain as is with the public/private playoff split, and the remaining four classifications would be determined by FTE (full-time equivalent) count.
Each of those plans also would create a multiplier system that would be applied to all private and city schools that draw more than a certain percentage of students from outside their designated attendance zones. It would, in all likelihood, mean all private schools above Class A would have to move up one classification and several city schools such as Buford and Calhoun would be subject to playing up.
Where those plans differed was in the idea suggested by Savannah’s Earl Etheridge of creating upper and lower tiers for playoffs in Classes AA through AAAAA, and it appears support for that part of his proposal has died down and that Dave Hunter’s plan is the one most likely to make it to August.
“They have had several meetings throughout the state to try and gauge interest in the plans,” Trion AD and football coach Justin Brown said. “They’re trying to do their due diligence, and they say they’re trying to level the playing field.
“If the multiplier for city schools gets voted in – which in essence is the ‘Buford Rule’ – it could cost a lot of schools, including us and Gordon Lee and Calhoun. If it does, then it just happens and we’ll move on.”
There is, of course, opposition to any multiplier.
“There’s nothing wrong with the system now, in my opinion,” Calhoun AD and football coach Hal Lamb said. “There’s a lot of people who don’t agree with that and want to see some change. A lot of people are attacking city schools, but I feel we’re doing things the right way.
“We’ve had several conversations with other city schools to determine what can be done. It will interesting to see what they do come August, and to me it’s still up in the air.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.