On the surface, the public/private school issue in Georgia has been swept under the rug, with the Georgia High School Association preferring to deal with the more statewide issue of travel when it comes to the now-delayed reclassification plan for the 2012-14 cycle.
Appearances, in this case, are deceiving.
While solving travel issues has to be at the forefront of any reclassification plan, the public/private issue continues to fester. The problem is especially prevalent in Class A, where 43 of the state’s 53 private schools compete and where those schools win the great majority of championships.
In fact, since the start of the 2008 school year, Class A private schools have won 26 of the 28 state championships outside of large team sports football, wrestling and track. The great majority of private schools are in the Atlanta area, where, of course, most of the state’s populace resides.
The public-school argument is simple: Private schools have a much, much broader area from which to pull students than public schools do and can be more choosy and aggressive in seeking athletes. The issue has become so heated in recent months that some Class A schools in southern Georgia are rumored to be considering leaving the GHSA if something isn’t done about the private-school dominance.