GHSA classification changes involve Albany-area schools

ALBANY — The Georgia High School Association released its classification breakdown for the 2015-17 athletic seasons on Wednesday and the assignments will have a big effect on schools in the Albany-area.

With the GHSA expanding to seven classifications, Lee County was assigned to Class 6A, its current classification. But the biggest shake-up may involve Dougherty, Albany and Worth County, three schools that had enrollments to compete in smaller classifications but elected to play up for travel concerns during the past two classification cycles.

Schools have until Nov. 30 to request to play up in classification, then the Reclassification Committee will meet in Thomaston on Dec. 1 to place schools in regions.

Along with Monroe, who’s FTE count of 1,069 students put the Tornadoes in Class 3A where they will join Dougherty and Worth County. That’s good news for Dougherty athletic director Harley Calhoun.

“We’re happy to be placed in a class that meets our population,” Calhoun said.

Meanwhile, Albany High had enrollment numbers of 837 which placed them in Class 2A. Albany athletic director Archie Chatmon could not be reached for comment.

Westover was assigned to Class 4A.

Another significant move among area schools was Pelham, who has been assigned to the Class A public school division. The Hornets have 436 students.

Terrell County, Mitchell County, Calhoun County and Baconton Charter, which have competed in the Class A public classification for the past several seasons, will continue.

The GHSA met on Wednesday and heard 19 appeals, with seventeen of the appeals concerning a school’s out-of-county percentage. A total of 15 schools won their appeals, including Southwest Georgia schools Thomas County Central, Crisp County, Cook, Thomasville and Early County.

Under new GHSA rules, if a school has enrollments that consist of three percent or more of out-of-county students, that school was moved up unless they petitioned and won the appeal.

As expected, Lee County was not assigned to Class 7A after competing in Class 6A the past two seasons and being one of the smallest schools in the state’s largest classification.

“We’re happy to be placed in the division with schools of comparable size,” Lee County athletic director Rob Williams said.

But there are some concerns that Williams refused to speculate on. Of the schools assigned to Class 6A, only Coffee, Valdosta, Houston County and Northside-Warner Robins are within a 100-mile radius of Lee County, and Valdosta has traditionally elected to play up in classification.

The Trojans currently compete in the same region with Valdosta, but Coffee and Houston are currently Class 5A members.

“As far as the regions are concerned, we’re not sure how that is going to pan out,” Williams said. “There is a lot of speculation.”

And as many expected, current Region 1-6A members Lowndes, Colquitt County, Tift County and Camden County (football) were assigned to Class 7A, or the original plan known as the “Big 44.” Lowndes was listed as the ninth largest school in the state behind six Gwinnett County and two Forsyth County schools.