By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

           The latest step in the GHSA reclassification process brought a few surprises – for now – but nothing astronomical as far as Central Georgia teams.

          The GHSA released the classifications – based on numbers submitted to and released by the Department of Education and with the latest multiplier – on Tuesday morning, and there will be some changes for the next two years, starting in the fall.

          Students attending a high school outside of their assigned zone are counted three times based on the 3.0 multiplier recently approved. So the out-of-zone figure shown is multiplied twice – the student counts first in the regular enrollment figure – to lead to the final reclassification figure.

          The multiplier, a topic with each two-year reclassification debate, jumped after research showed that nine private schools, in Classes 2A to 5A, in particular continued fairly dominate state title success regardless of moving up.

          The next step is for schools to appeal the classification in which they’re placed. Schools also declare if they want to play in a higher classification.

          Then the GHSA will begin placing teams in specific regions, with appeals to follow. And that will be released probably in January.

          Veterans moved up from Class 5A to 6A, where it will join Houston County and Northside.

          Westside went from the lower third of 3A to the lower third of 4A, and Rutland dropped from 3A to 2A.

          And as far as basic enrollment numbers and movement for Central Georgia schools, that’s about it.

          At a minimum, the automatic region shakeups with a school moving will involve 1-5A (currently with Warner Robins and Veterans), and 4-4A (with Perry and Rutland).

          Rutland played up a classification the last two years for geographic reasons, playing in a short-travel region.

          It could play up in 3A in another region with several Central Georgia teams, the current Region 2 with Mary Persons, Peach County, and Upson-Lee, as well as Jackson and Pike County, among others.

          Or it could stay in AA in what is currently Region 3, all Central Georgia teams, including Southwest and Northeast.

          No Class A schools will be bumped up a classification based on the 3.0 multiplier, so those regions are unlikely to change much. Schools moving up can push schools down into the next lower class, which affects region placement.

          Four area schools had fairly substantial out-of-zone numbers: Mount de Sales, 275; Central, 272; Houston County, 200; ACE, 240.

          Baldwin, Peach County, Macon County, Hancock Central, and Wilkinson County listed no out-of-zone students, with only one at Twiggs County.