New VHSL Alignment Plan Draws Positive Reviews

The Virginia High School League intends in two years to expand from three to five divisions, and early reviews of the reclassification plan are positive.

Representatives from state high schools gathered at the VHSL offices in Charlottesville, Va., Tuesday morning to hear details of the new arrangement that takes effect for the 2011-12 school year. The VHSL re-aligns its member schools every two years.

“The goal is to have a balance in the number of schools in each section,” said Virginia High athletic director Barry Reed, who attended Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m happy with this proposal, and I look forward to working out all the kinks.”

Under the new format, schools will be classified into one of five divisions based on enrollment. That would scrap the current three-tier classification system – Group A, AA and AAA – that has been used since 1970.

Division 1 will consist of 48 schools with enrollments of 450 or fewer students.

Division 2, which will include current Southwest and Clinch Mountain District schools such as Virginia High and John Battle, is for schools with 451-800 students.

Division 3 includes schools, such as Abingdon, with 801-1,300 students.

Division 4 is for schools with enrollments from 1,301-1,800, and Division 5 is for schools with 1,800 or more students.

Chilhowie principal Mike Sturgill came away from Tuesday’s meeting with a positive vibe.

“I think the new plan will help everyone in terms of equity,” Sturgill said. “It will also gives school flexibility as far as scheduling. For example, schools can look for rivalry games to help attract bigger crowds.”

Sturgill said he believes school officials across Southwest Virginia will greet the new alignment with open arms because, under the current three-tier classification, there are large enrollment disparities between schools in some regions.

“It’s a big change, but the representatives at our last regional meeting were in support of it,” Sturgill said. “This plan provides a lot more equity for teams in terms of playoffs and competing for state titles.”

According to Reed, the most radical impact of the plan would be the eliminations of districts.

“It looks like the days of playing for a district title will be over in two years,” Reed said. “Instead of districts, schools will be grouped together by sections.”

VHSL officials will determine which teams from each section of the state qualify for the playoffs, and Reed said that will create some old and new rivals for Virginia High.

“We will be back to where we were 20 years ago with the old Southwest District with schools,” he said. 

Reed said he does not like one aspect of the new football playoff proposal: It is based on records rather than the current power-point arrangement.

“I really don’t think that we should rely on records as the main tool to qualify for the playoffs,” Reed said “The new arrangement encourages teams to schedule small schools, and it would hurt us because we play several larger schools such as Tennessee High.”

But, he added: “I think other playoff options will be created before everything becomes official in two years.”

Instead of the current regional playoffs, the postseason format would progress through the sub-section and sectional level to the state tournament.

Principals from the western part of Virginia plan to meet again to take a closer look at the new VHSL plan.

While school systems in northern Virginia continue to swell with new students, enrollment has been on a steady decline in far Southwest Virginia. Given the unstable enrollment numbers in Southwest Virginia, it’s possible that some schools could be shifted into other divisions.

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The Southwest Virginia Shuffle
Division 1
Council (134 students), St. Paul (158), Ervinton (181), Hurley (208), Appalachia (235) Twin Springs (236), Twin Valley (244), J.I. Burton (245), Rye Cove (252), Thomas Walker (253), Pound (252), Haysi (289), Holston (311), Castlewood (316), Rural Retreat (317), Northwood (341), Clintwood (346) Coeburn (382), Chilhowie (420), Honaker (440), George Wythe (442)

Division 2
Patrick Henry (466), Grundy (474), J.J. Kelly (503), Graham (510), Powell Valley (542),  Lebanon (558), Tazewell (655), John Battle (682), Virginia High (702), Gate City (709), Richlands (769), Lee (801)
Division 3
Marion (821), Abingdon (962), Carroll County (1,175)