Private schools Benedictine, Westminster, Pace Academy, Holy Innocents’ and Eagle’s Landing Christian got GHSA permission Wednesday to play up into Class 4A starting in 2024-26 while 16 several public schools have been pushed down in class as a result of the petitions to play up.
Granting those petitions will keep those five private schools out of the new Class 3A-A private-only division and allow them to continue to compete for state titles with public schools. It also makes Class 4A much stronger in all sports.
It was conjectured that other private schools would petition to play up, but notably Greater Atlanta Christian, Lovett, Calvary Day and Christian Christian elected to remain in Class 3A or below.
Also approved to play up, mostly for better geographical or competitive fits, were Cedar Grove, Johnson-Savannah, Beach, Windsor Forest, Calvary Day and Trinity Christian to 3A and Prince Avenue Christian, Josey, Savannah Arts, Drew Charter, Technical Career Magnet, Coretta Scott King, Johnson-Augusta and Davidson Fine Arts to 2A.
When the GHSA approves petitions to move up into a class, it allows a similar number to move down automatically to keep the classifications at roughly the same size.
Moving down by that process were Fayette County, Troup and Adairsville to 3A, Hardaway and Sonoraville to 2A, Elbert County, Putnam County, Brantley County, Haralson County, Toombs County, Washington County and Barrow to A Division I and Bryan County, Brooks County, Pelham and Early County to A Division II.
The GHSA will hear 24 appeals Thursday from schools asking to move down in classification. Most of those are schools placed in Class 6A, the highest classification, but wanting to play one class lower. They are Alexander, Arabia Mountain, Central Gwinnett, Chapel Hill, Douglas County, Effingham County, Grovetown, Heritage of Conyers, Houston County, Kennesaw Mountain, New Manchester, Newnan, Rockdale County and Shiloh.
The others are Allatoona, Central-Macon, Dalton, Eastside, KIPP Atlanta, Richmond Academy, Savannah, Shaw, Union Grove and Warner Robins.
The highest classification, which will be Class 6A beginning in 2024-25, added nearly 20 schools to reach 65, compared with the current 46 in Class 7A. None of those asking to get out of the highest class currently are in the highest class except Central Gwinnett and Kennesaw Mountain.
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