Statewide Classification Changes For High Schools

With the heat of summer starting to loosen its hold and August already upon us, we begin to see the fall high school sports season coming into focus.  With a new school year comes some changes for the local schools.  In recent years there has been a push by some districts to make changes to the classification enrollment numbers.  Last year the state governing board over high school athletics, the IHSAA, took a hard look at a few different proposals that would do just that.  However, after much deliberation, the IHSAA board ultimately decided to make no changes and leave the numbers as they stood at that time.  

  There was a distinct divide within the member schools of the state on whether or not that was the correct line of action.  It was at that time that some of the members found a loophole, if you will, within the IHSAA Bylaws.  Section 5 of the Bylaws allows for member schools to bring forth a member initiative that could override what the IHSAA had voted on regarding changes to the classifications within the state.  During that process a proposal was brought to the member schools to vote on.  The new proposal would add a 6A classification and eliminate the need for two 1A classifications.  When the votes were tallied 100 of the 152 member schools voted in favor of the new proposal which in turn overruled the IHSAA vote changing the vast majority of the schools in the state classification assignment. 

 The schools that appear to have been most in favor of the changes came from districts 3 and 4 with each district having over 80% of their schools approve.  Schools from district 5 where Caribou County schools align were less enthusiastic about the changes with only eight of seventeen schools voting in favor of the change.  In the end, the three local high schools have been assigned new classification numbers.  

Despite the changes to the classification titles little will change in regards to local schools, district and statewide opponents.  Previously North Gem was classified as 1AD2 with Grace as 1AD1 and Soda Springs as 2A.  Previously 1AD2 schools included schools with enrollment numbers of 84 students or below.  1AD1 included schools with enrollment numbers of 85-159 and 2A had enrollment numbers of 160-319.  If the IHSAA vote would have stood, the most significant change would have been Grace moving up to 2A replacing Bear Lake in the Southeast Idaho Conference, fully igniting the Soda Springs/Grace rivalry.  However, with the new changes that will not be happening anytime soon.  The new classification alignments are as follows, schools with enrollment numbers of 89 and below are 1A, 90-174 are 2A, and 175-349 are 3A.  The last enrollment count had our local school enrollments as North Gem with 43, Grace with 170, and Soda Springs with 265.5.  These numbers have likely fluctuated a little and are assessed every two years.  

So what does all of this mean?  North Gem will drop the D2 distinction from their 1A classification, Grace will now be 2A and Soda Springs will now be 3A.  North Gem will remain in the very large Rocky Mountain Conference with many of the same district opponents.  One notable difference will be the addition of Challis to their conference who had their petition to remain 1A approved by the state.

With Challis staying down at 1A the High Desert Conference that Grace belongs to will stay a small three team conference with just Grace, Butte County and Alturas Prep.  The main difference in the Southeast Idaho Conference is the departure of Bear Lake leaving Soda Springs with just three district opponents Malad, Westside, and Aberdeen.  After all of the dust has settled the numbers in front of the “A” may have changed but most of the faces will be the same as competition begins later this month.