Big changes are expected for Southwest Washington leagues, as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is set to finalize reclassification numbers for the next four years this weekend.
What’s confirmed now are expected changes for two local leagues: the 2A Greater St. Helens League expanding to nine schools while the 1A Trico League dips to five schools.
Both changes go into effect this fall. Classifications aren’t finalized until the WIAA’s Executive Board meeting Sunday at its Renton headquarters.
The 2A GSHL is expected to add current 3A GSHL members Fort Vancouver and Hudson’s Bay after adjusted enrollment numbers that include the new socioeconomic impact send both schools down to 2A.
Last January, the WIAA representative assembly approved two major proposals for state classifications when it voted to return to hard-count numbers and added a socioeconomic element. That latter allows less-affluent 4A through 1A schools to use free- and reduced-cost meals numbers to drop in classification.
Fort Vancouver (71 percent) and Hudson’s Bay’s (62) free/reduced meal counts sit above the 47 percent state average, meaning a school’s percentage differential from the state average is applied to adjust its enrollment.
Adjusted enrollment for Fort (897 enrollment in grades 9-11, including applied free/reduced meals percentage) and Bay’s (767) push both schools to Class 2A. Fort’s adjusted enrollment sits two students below the 899 cut-off in 2A.
As a pending nine-school league, 2A GSHL athletic directors have tentative sports schedules drawn up. For starters, all sports with 20 regular-season contests will have 16 home-and-home league games. Sports with 16 regular-season contests, such as volleyball and boys and girls soccer, will be grouped into three divisions — North, Central and East, based on school geography — for scheduling purposes only, said Woodland athletic director Paul Huddleson, also the league’s volleyball commissioner. All three divisions have 10 league contests.
Football is a seven-game league schedule, and two non-league contest to fulfill a nine-game regular season. Fort athletic director James Ensley said earlier this month the Trappers will play an independent football schedule again for 2020 and ’21.
HERITAGE RECLASSIFIED AS 3A SCHOOL
Heritage’s 1,238 enrollment in grades 9-11, reported to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, puts the school in Class 3A. After the school’s 59 percent free/reduced meals is applied, its enrollment number is reduced to 1,089.
The 3A enrollment range is 900-1,299.
Member schools knew of statewide enrollment figures in November, and learned of all public schools’ free/reduced meal percentages in early January.
1A TRICO LEAGUE DROPS TO 5 SCHOOLS
As expected, private schools King’s Way Christian and Seton Catholic opted to Class 1A to remain in the Trico League, but Stevenson is departing.
Stevenson’s 205 student enrollment (194 including 52 percent free/reduced meals) in grades 9-11, reclassifies the school to Class 2B. The Stevenson-Carson School District school board voted in November not to opt-up to 1A. It moves to the Central 2B League.
The 1A Trico League is expected to be Castle Rock, Columbia-White Salmon, King’s Way Christian, La Center and Seton Catholic.
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CLASSIFICATION KEY
2020-24 enrollment period
Class 1B: 1-104
Class 2B: 105-224
Class 1A: 225-449
Class 2A: 450-899
Class 3A: 900-1,299
Class 4A: 1,300+
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Enrollment figures listed are a school’s average enrollment for their freshmen, sophomore and junior classes from six enrollment counts in 2019, plus the free/reduced meals percentage differential from the state average (if applied), reported to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. November enrollment numbers are counted twice.
# = opt-up to Class 1A
* = school’s free/reduced meals percentage over 47 percent state average. Differential is applied to enrollment.
Battle Ground: 1,364
Camas: 1,602
Castle Rock: 293*
Cedar Tree Classical Christian: 31
Columbia River: 832
Columbia-White Salmon: 280
Columbia Adventist: 107
Evergreen: 1,068*
Firm Foundation: 40
Fort Vancouver: 897*
Heritage: 1,089*
Hockinson: 479
Hudson’s Bay: 767*
Kelso: 1,064*
King’s Way Christian: 170#
La Center: 393
Mark Morris: 697
Mountain View: 1,292
Prairie: 1,145
R.A. Long: 517*
Ridgefield: 690
Seton Catholic: 144#
Skyview: 1,372
Stevenson: 194*
Union: 1,478
Washington School for the Deaf: N/A
Washougal: 749
Woodland: 518
