2023-2024 Football Realignment

[theguru]

6 minutes ago, DragonFire said:

Man, no one from 4A played up to 5A at all.  All it would've taken was two....

Oh well, Warren Central off to 6A.

Warren Central stood out to me, here it is for everyone:

Warren Central    5    Rather than playing in the potential 5A alignment, we would rather play up into 6A. HOWEVER, if the opportunity to move down to Class 4A occurs due to others playing up, we want to rescind the request to play up. Our preference is to play 4A if afforded to us by the reclassification of 3 other schools from 4A to 5A. If that opportunity does not exist, we would like play up to 6A. We do not want to play in 5A regardless of the results of the membership‘s survey results. Due to forecasted/potential 5A district in our area, we feel we would better suited to play in a classification other than 5A.    

[DragonFire]

2 minutes ago, theguru said:

Warren Central stood out to me, here it is for everyone:

Warren Central    5    Rather than playing in the potential 5A alignment, we would rather play up into 6A. HOWEVER, if the opportunity to move down to Class 4A occurs due to others playing up, we want to rescind the request to play up. Our preference is to play 4A if afforded to us by the reclassification of 3 other schools from 4A to 5A. If that opportunity does not exist, we would like play up to 6A. We do not want to play in 5A regardless of the results of the membership‘s survey results. Due to forecasted/potential 5A district in our area, we feel we would better suited to play in a classification other than 5A.    

Basically said it all there.  There is no benefit to Warren Central taking the field against Bowling Green or South Warren.  It was painfully obvious that South Warren would end back up in 5A, as I think everyone suspected that Barren County would request to move up, as they have been.  I'm still stunned Warren Central grew enough to be placed in 5A, but really, this was the only choice.

[theguru]

Here is another interesting one, this is what Boone County had to say:

I appreciate your time and feedback on these matters. At your suggestion, I have drafted a letter that I will post in the open comment section of the football reclassification form due on Dec. 21. It is my hope that these comments garner some attention from the Board of Control. I also hope that these comments help me find schools similarly affected, and that we might start some momentum to reform the classification process. I have pasted the letter below in case you would like to offer any feedback before I submit next week. Thank you.

Organizing schools into classes should make competition between schools fairer and more competitive. Relying solely on enrollment numbers without any consideration for other factors affecting competitiveness works against this principle. The KHSAA should consider additional factors, or at the very least, create some mechanism that provides an opportunity for schools with a documented history of limited success.

The current system of classification by enrollment may work for the majority of schools, but it does not work for all. Boone County High School is one such school whose students suffer from the failures of the current classification system. The Boone County football program has had 2 district wins in the past 11 seasons, the most recent coming in 2016. In the four most recent years, the average score in district games was 41-3, meaning the games were so unbalanced that the typical game resulted in a running clock. In a sport as physical and violent as football, this also indicates an imbalance that is potentially dangerous, especially after successive weeks of lopsided district play. It should also be noted that this period has featured 3 different head coaches, all of whom were part of successful programs before or after their time leading Boone County.

And yet the current classification document lists Boone County as the 7th largest school in the proposed class 5A. Why would a school near the top of its class in enrollment experience so much adversity for such a prolonged period? The answer is that enrollment without context does not tell the whole story. The area around Boone County High School has grown dramatically over the last five decades, but in the last 30 years, that growth has increasingly been outside of Florence. Conner in Hebron (opened in 1970), Ryle in Union (1992), and Cooper in Union (2008) have been the beneficiaries of this growth since 1990. And while Boone County High School’s enrollment is within roughly 100 students of Conner and Cooper, those numbers again do not tell the whole story. According to KDE school report card information from 2021-22, 54.3% of the Boone County High School student body was eligible for free and reduced lunch compared to an average of 28.9% among the other three high schools in the same district. The number of Boone students eligible this year is currently 57.1%, continuing the trend of an increasing percentage of students at Boone County High School facing the challenges of income insecurity and the accompanying barriers to participation in school activities. Examining the number of students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) paints a similar picture. These students are often first or second-generation immigrants, and they face additional barriers to participation in school activities. According to KDE school report card information from 2021-22, 13.7% of the Boone County High School student body was identified as ELL compared to an average of 3.3% among the other three high schools in the same district. In the current school year, the number of Boone County High School students labeled as ELL has increased to 14.5%, continuing a trend.

Considering the trends, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where Boone County High School can be competitive in a district derived exclusively from raw enrollment numbers with no regard for context or prior success. Certainly there are other schools across the state similarly handicapped when they are judged by enrollment without any consideration for their own unique situation. If it is the goal of the KHSAA to make competition between schools fairer and more competitive, the KHSAA must consider additional factors in classification, or at the very least, create some mechanism that provides an opportunity for schools with a documented history of limited success.

[gridiron guy]

So, does each school that request to play up get granted?

[JD5692]

McLean County also petitioned to opt up to 3A I think the KHSAA made a mistake.

Edited January 14, 2023 by theguru

[DanvilleFan]

2 hours ago, theguru said:

Here is another interesting one, this is what Boone County had to say:

I appreciate your time and feedback on these matters. At your suggestion, I have drafted a letter that I will post in the open comment section of the football reclassification form due on Dec. 21. It is my hope that these comments garner some attention from the Board of Control. I also hope that these comments help me find schools similarly affected, and that we might start some momentum to reform the classification process. I have pasted the letter below in case you would like to offer any feedback before I submit next week. Thank you.

Organizing schools into classes should make competition between schools fairer and more competitive. Relying solely on enrollment numbers without any consideration for other factors affecting competitiveness works against this principle. The KHSAA should consider additional factors, or at the very least, create some mechanism that provides an opportunity for schools with a documented history of limited success.

The current system of classification by enrollment may work for the majority of schools, but it does not work for all. Boone County High School is one such school whose students suffer from the failures of the current classification system. The Boone County football program has had 2 district wins in the past 11 seasons, the most recent coming in 2016. In the four most recent years, the average score in district games was 41-3, meaning the games were so unbalanced that the typical game resulted in a running clock. In a sport as physical and violent as football, this also indicates an imbalance that is potentially dangerous, especially after successive weeks of lopsided district play. It should also be noted that this period has featured 3 different head coaches, all of whom were part of successful programs before or after their time leading Boone County.

And yet the current classification document lists Boone County as the 7th largest school in the proposed class 5A. Why would a school near the top of its class in enrollment experience so much adversity for such a prolonged period? The answer is that enrollment without context does not tell the whole story. The area around Boone County High School has grown dramatically over the last five decades, but in the last 30 years, that growth has increasingly been outside of Florence. Conner in Hebron (opened in 1970), Ryle in Union (1992), and Cooper in Union (2008) have been the beneficiaries of this growth since 1990. And while Boone County High School’s enrollment is within roughly 100 students of Conner and Cooper, those numbers again do not tell the whole story. According to KDE school report card information from 2021-22, 54.3% of the Boone County High School student body was eligible for free and reduced lunch compared to an average of 28.9% among the other three high schools in the same district. The number of Boone students eligible this year is currently 57.1%, continuing the trend of an increasing percentage of students at Boone County High School facing the challenges of income insecurity and the accompanying barriers to participation in school activities. Examining the number of students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) paints a similar picture. These students are often first or second-generation immigrants, and they face additional barriers to participation in school activities. According to KDE school report card information from 2021-22, 13.7% of the Boone County High School student body was identified as ELL compared to an average of 3.3% among the other three high schools in the same district. In the current school year, the number of Boone County High School students labeled as ELL has increased to 14.5%, continuing a trend.

Considering the trends, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where Boone County High School can be competitive in a district derived exclusively from raw enrollment numbers with no regard for context or prior success. Certainly there are other schools across the state similarly handicapped when they are judged by enrollment without any consideration for their own unique situation. If it is the goal of the KHSAA to make competition between schools fairer and more competitive, the KHSAA must consider additional factors in classification, or at the very least, create some mechanism that provides an opportunity for schools with a documented history of limited success.

This makes a well reasoned argument.  I'm just trying to think of what mechanism could be used to help schools like this.

[Down4theblue]

3 hours ago, theguru said:

Warren Central stood out to me, here it is for everyone:

Warren Central    5    Rather than playing in the potential 5A alignment, we would rather play up into 6A. HOWEVER, if the opportunity to move down to Class 4A occurs due to others playing up, we want to rescind the request to play up. Our preference is to play 4A if afforded to us by the reclassification of 3 other schools from 4A to 5A. If that opportunity does not exist, we would like play up to 6A. We do not want to play in 5A regardless of the results of the membership‘s survey results. Due to forecasted/potential 5A district in our area, we feel we would better suited to play in a classification other than 5A.    

Reading between the lines….Warren Central :we would rather duck BG and South Warren in 5A And get the stuffings beat out of them and drive a few Hours by Louisville area 6A makes sense 👍🏻 Good way to throw your kids under a bus. I mean a long bus ride. 

[Down4theblue]

7 minutes ago, DanvilleFan said:

This makes a well reasoned argument.  I'm just trying to think of what mechanism could be used to help schools like this.

They want to break down schools by size, money and if they are good. Sure.
  

[theguru]

7 minutes ago, Down4theblue said:

Reading between the lines….Warren Central :we would rather duck BG and South Warren in 5A And get the stuffings beat out of them and drive a few Hours by Louisville area 6A makes sense 👍🏻 Good way to throw your kids under a bus. I mean a long bus ride. 

It doesn't make any sense to me either.  I think parents and students should run away from Warren Central. 

[theguru]

15 minutes ago, DanvilleFan said:

This makes a well reasoned argument.  I'm just trying to think of what mechanism could be used to help schools like this.

I think the only option is to not compete for a district title, doing anything else would be opening Pandora's box.

[TheBigMeach]

Thought the Boone County argument was interesting considering I was reading an article from a coach I follow in Iowa. Just posted yesterday that the Iowa BoC voted to do just what Boone has suggested. Here is a link to the article and an excerpt. Not sure if other states do the same.  

https://www.iahsaa.org/football-classification-approved-2023-24/

The classification adjustment will reduce 40 percent of a school’s free or reduced lunch (FRL) count from their annual enrollment to determine their final classification number.

“The State Board recognized the historical competitive challenges, supported by the data our staff assembled, which some of our schools have experienced,” Keating said. “The Board acknowledged the support from our member schools in this issue.”

- Longtime BGP Lurker, First Time BGP Poster 🙂

[DragonFire]

2 hours ago, theguru said:

It doesn't make any sense to me either.  I think parents and students should run away from Warren Central. 

If you don't understand the why of it by now, then you aren't trying and you've ignored everything that I've said on here.  I'm extremely disappointed in you.

[DragonFire]

2 hours ago, Down4theblue said:

Reading between the lines….Warren Central :we would rather duck BG and South Warren in 5A And get the stuffings beat out of them and drive a few Hours by Louisville area 6A makes sense 👍🏻 Good way to throw your kids under a bus. I mean a long bus ride. 

Warren Central played Bowling Green through many, many, many years when no one else around here would go near them.  It took COVID to break that streak.  The last four meetings were a combined 213-6 in the score.  What is the point of seeking out that beating?  South Warren ducked Warren Central for all of the years that they weren't confident they could beat them, waiting out the slow death that the establishment of that school was raining on the team.  They played against each other once South Warren was thrown into their district, and they still played them for three years after they were no longer in a district together.  COVID knocked out that series as well.  I'm fairly certain that every matchup between those two teams was a running clock. 

For a team that literally just ended a 61 game losing streak and a time period that it appeared the football team might literally go under, there is no point in trying to go into that district with those two teams.  None at all.  So yes, they would much rather duck those two teams and play teams hours away that frankly are not threats to the existence of their program.  I can assure you based on everything I've seen over the years, South Warren in particular would use those games as a way to try to demonstrate where football players should end up.

But we certainly thank you for your concern and attention to Warren Central at this juncture.  I'm sure you've been following all of the things between 2009 and now that led to where they're at.

[BIG BLACK JACK]

2 hours ago, theguru said:

It doesn't make any sense to me either.  I think parents and students should run away from Warren Central. 

As an alumni and spouse of someone working in the building (who is also an alum) , I’d love for you to come down to WCHS and see what the school does have to offer. All you see is a football score and pass judgment. 

[Calico Jack]

3 hours ago, theguru said:

It doesn't make any sense to me either.  I think parents and students should run away from Warren Central. 

Then why aren’t people lining up to play non district schedules of X, T, Male, BG, Boyle Co, Douglass, etc?  
 

There is no difference. 
 

South Warren and John Hardin back when they both started playing football, granted they were new programs, but the kids weren’t new to football, had some extremely softer spots in their schedule.  Boyle Co some 30 years ago even dropped and/or wouldn’t play some of the local schools they had a history with because, at the time, Boyle was a doormat.

You see all kinds of coaches on here and twitter heroes that talk the talk of playing competition- low key shaming programs that don’t or need a change in their schedule.  Yet I don’t see them playing some of the aforementioned programs.  However, you can take it to the bank that in private responses to those “average” programs on the listserve that they are trying to sand bag all they can into softening things up.