The Virginia High School League is now considering another radical realignment change that appears set to re-work the state’s membership into a 24-region model, potentially dropping the current conference-based alignment in the 2017-2018 school year.
Under the initial draft framework released today, the state’s six groups would be broken into four regions per group, and now enters the approval process. Appeals must be made by member schools by January 8th, then will be heard (along with dissenting opinions) January 13th.
The regions range from as few as eight schools on up to 17. We’ll have more on this story as it develops.
Click here for a link to the initial alignment plan: http://www.vhsl.org/doc/upload/alignment-2017-19-initial-proposed-24-region-alignment-plan.pdf
Placement for local squads would run as follows:
Albemarle and Orange would be in the 5A West with 12 total schools. The other squads are Atlee, Brooke Point, Halifax, Patrick Henry-Roanoke, Patrick Henry-Ashland, Massaponax, Mountain View, North Stafford, Potomac, Stafford.
Charlottesville would reside in the 4A West Region with 12 total schools. Amherst, Bassett, William Byrd, Carroll County, William Fleming, E.C. Glass, Jefferson Forest, Liberty Christian, Pulaski, Salem and George Washington.
Louisa would be in the 4A Central Region with 12 total schools. Caroline, Chancellor, Courtland, Dinwiddie, Eastern View, Hanover, Huguenot, King George, Midlothian, Monacan and Powhatan.
Fluvanna County, Western Albemarle and Monticello would all reside in the 3A Region 3 (the VHSL notes that this may change names) with 13 total teams. Broadway, Brookville, Fort Defiance, Heritage-Lynchburg, Liberty-Bedford, Rockbridge County, Rustburg, Spotswood, Turner Ashby and Waynesboro. William Monroe was placed in the 3A Northeast region with 15 total teams ranging from Richmond’s Armstrong High and Petersburg to Skyline and Brentsville.
The VHSL notes that Fluvanna could move up to 4A.
Buckingham was placed in the 2A Central with 10 total squads. Appomattox, Chatham, Dan River, Floyd County, Giles, Glenvar, Gretna, James River-Buchanan and Martinsville. The VHSL notes that Buckingham could move to the 2A South, home to Goochland and 13 other squads currently.
Madison County and Nelson County were placed in the 2A North with 12 total teams. Buffalo Gap, Central-Woodstock, Clarke County, East Rockingham, R.E.-Lee Staunton, George Mason, Page County, Strasburg, Stuarts Draft and Wilson Memorial.
