(10-3-23) The Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) executive committee approved the ruling body’s reclassification plan for the two-year cycle beginning in 2024-25 at its meeting Monday morning in Thomasville.

Trion High School football coach Sean Patrick told the Chattanooga Times Free Press–

“It’s a good day for public schools across the state. I think it’s much needed and I’m happy the GHSA recognized the issue with that.

“You look at our classification (Class A Division I) over the past calendar year and private schools won all but one state championship. You can’t argue with those numbers. Our whole program last year was affected by private schools. Our tennis team lost two matches last year, both to private schools. Our soccer team lost to a private school.

“Our football team went 9-1 against public schools and outscored them 39-11 and went 0-2 against private schools and got hammered, including in the playoffs to end our season

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The plan would keep private and public schools together in region play during the regular season but separate them for the playoffs. Power ratings would seed the playoffs for public and private schools.

The public schools would have championships in 3A, 2A, A Division I and A Division II. Private schools would have a single championship in 3A-A.

In 2022-23, private schools won 39 of the 78 state championships contented in classes 3A to A despite the overwhelming majority of schools in those classes being public. When confined to Class A Private the previous academic year, the private schools won only 17 state titles.

Voting against the 3A/A proposal Sunday were Kevin Petroski of Athens Academy and Richard Ricketts of Prince Avenue Christian. They are athletic directors at private schools.

RECLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE Report presented by Curt Miller
The committee RECOMMENDED:

  1. Proposal that Class A D2 shall consist of the smallest (approximately 50) football playing public schools. Non-football playing public schools that classify as Class A D2 will be placed in Class A D2 regions. (Vote: 12-2, Petroski and Ricketts voting no)
    Motion Passed (69-6 – Petroski, Kennedy, Bell, Fernandez, Jordan, Mooney voted no)
  2. Proposal that schools shall be divided into six classifications based on the following approximate percentages: Class 6A (largest 14%); Class A (smallest 26%); Classes 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A (24-26% of the remaining schools divided equally among the four classes). (Vote: 14-0)
    Motion Passed (Unanimously)
  3. Proposal that all schools competing in classes A, AA and AAA will be assigned regions by the GHSA office. Teams will compete within their regions during the regular season. At the end of the regular season, the private schools from A, AA and AAA will compete in a combined championship bracket. At the end of the regular season, public schools will compete in a championship bracket in their respective classes. The GHSA office will use a power rating format to seed the playoffs in both public and private school brackets in A, AA and AAA. (Vote: 12-2, Petroski and Ricketts voting no)
    Motion Passed (53-18-4, Roll Call No. 3 – Mooney, Cannon, R. Jackson, Dowis, Rayburn, Ellison, Standard, Grooms, Moore, Cooper, Dehem, Kennedy, Bell, Jordan, Fernandez, Masters, Woods, Colvard voted no; Petroski, Ricketts, Davis, Sanfilippo abstained)
  4. Proposal that the reclassification committee and the GHSA office shall form a subcommittee to study a Competitive Balance model for the next reclassification cycle. (Vote: 14-0)
    Motion Passed (Unanimously)
  5. Proposal that all proposals to be considered by the reclassification committee must be presented in writing to the GHSA office at least one week prior to the meeting at which those proposals will be considered. (Vote: 14-0)
  6. Motion Passed (Unanimously)