KSHSAA member schools pass classification proposals
Topeka, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–In the 2018-19 calendar year, the way that the Kansas State High School Activities Association member schools will see how classifications will be.
The KSHSAA Executive Board in April passed both the football classification proposal and the annual classification, handing it to the member schools to vote on the proposals. Those proposals were to be mailed in by Monday, June 12.
At Wednesday’s KSHSAA Executive Board Meeting in Topeka, the votes for classification changes in football and other sports were announced. If a member school abstained from voting, that counted as a “No” vote.
Starting with football, where 288 member schools in classes 4A-1A voted on changing the classification proposal, which would eliminate a second classification in Class 4A and add a Classification in Class 1A. That passed by a 215-73 margin, with 37 abstaining. The votes by classification went as follows: Class 4A 48-16 Yes (3 Abstained); Class 3A 52-12 Yes (4 Abstained); Class 2A 51-13 Yes (6 Abstained); Class 1A 64-32 Yes (24 Abstained). Classes 6A and 5A did not vote on the football proposal since it did not effect them. Beginning in the 2018-19 season, the football classifications will break down like this: Class 6A, 32; Class 5A, 32; Class 4A, 32; Class 3A, 48; Class 2A, 48; Class 1A will have the remaining 11-man schools. The 8-Man schools will still be split by two classifications. Classes 6-4A will each be seeded for the playoffs, starting in Week 9, and there will be eight districts of six teams in Classes 3A and 2A. There will also not be the Tuesday playoff game, as that will be moved to Week 9 for Class 3A and below.
The second big vote included all classifications, with the proposal of eliminating two divisions in Classes 4A and 1A, as well as adjusting the number of schools in each classification. This would be the classification that involves every KSHSAA activity on an annual basis, with the exception of football. The second proposal on the annual classification passed with a 207-145 votes. There were 37 schools that absained. Only Class 6A and Class 1A were the only classifications that voted against the change. Here’s the breakdown by class on the vote: Class 6A 18-14 No (3 Abstained); Class 5A 19-13 Yes (4 Abstained); Class 4A 47-17 Yes (1 Abstained); Class 3A 50-14 Yes (3 Abstained); Class 2A 48-18 Yes (5 Abstained); Class 1A 65-31 No (21 Abstained). With the overall passing of the annual classification, the breakdown of classes beginning in the 2018-19 school year will be as follows: Class 6A, 36; Class 5A, 36; Class 4A, 36; Class 3A, 64; Class 2A, 64; Class 1A, the remainer (approximately 117).
This could make a good-sized impact on schools in southwest Kansas. If you went by the current student counts in football and the annual count, Dodge City and Garden City would stay in Class 6A, Liberal would remain in 5A, Ulysses would be the only Class 4A School in southwest Kansas, while GWAC schools Colby, Goodland, Holcomb, Hugoton and Scott City would more than likely be in Class 3A in all sports. This could possibly knock Cimarron, Lakin, Southwestern Heights and Syracuse down to Class 2A, and would likely send Spearville and Kinsley to Class 1A.
