DISTRICT RECLASSIFICATION

1. DISTRICT RECLASSIFICATION CLASS AA to AAAAA

2. RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS • Every two years this process begins. • Each school is automatically placed within the class dictated by its student enrollment by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). • Each individual school has the opportunity to file a petition to play at a higher class.

3. GHSA PROCESS(as defined by GHSA constitution and by-laws) • No school shall be placed below the class dictated by its enrollment, nor shall any school be forced to play at a higher class than it naturally falls. • The request to move from a lower to a higher classification must be made over the signature of the school’s administrative authorities, i.e. the Principal and Superintendent.

4. CLASS AAAAA • Region 3-AAAAA is comprised of all 7 Chatham County Public High Schools as well as Bradwell Institute and Camden County. • Each Chatham County Public School is currently competing at a higher classification than dictated by its student population. • Each school travels a minimum of 147 miles at this time to compete within their classification.

5. CLASSIFICATION CONCERNS • Each Chatham County High School will naturally fall into one of the following classifications based on student enrollment; • AAAA (Groves, Jenkins, & Johnson) • AAA (Beach, Savannah High, & Windsor Forest) • AA (Savannah Arts Academy) • If we compete based on each schools natural classification the following areas will primarily be affected: • Transportation • Instructional time • Facility

6. TRANSPORTATION COSTS To date each school has spent the following: • Beach – $6519.80 • Groves – $852.40 • Jenkins – $2804.16 • Johnson – $1821.98 • Savannah Arts – $683.84 • Savannah High – $4208.40 • Windsor Forest – $2668.62 • That is a total of $19,558.77.

7. TRANSPORTATION COSTS • Transportation mileage and costs will increase if all schools follow natural alignment. • Ex: AA classification (SAA) will be required to travel a minimum of 712 miles to compete within its class. • Ex: AAA classification (AEB, SHS, WF) and will be required to travel a minimum of 777 miles to compete within its class. • Ex: AAAA classification (GHS, HVJ, SCJ) and will be required to travel a minimum of 502 miles to compete within its class. • First Student currently charges $.20/mile traveled and $20.00/hour for the bus driver. • Transportation costs will, at the minimum, double and possibly triple if we follow natural alignment.

8. INSTRUCTIONAL TIME • GHSA Rule #2.66 – Teams playing any regular season contest when there are classes the next day shall be limited to a travel distance of no more than 100 miles one way as determined using the maps program at www.yahoo.com. • Instructional time will decrease because of longer travel time. • Ex: Windsor Forest could compete at the AAA Classification and would be required to travel as far away as 777 miles – one way per sport. With the increased distance of travel, they would be required to leave school early to make the 4:00 pm start time and would not return to Savannah until early the next morning. • This would impact both instruction and school resources.

9. SCCPSS ACCOMPLISHMENTS • School achievements under 3-AAAAA classification: • Beach – 33 region championships, 38 state championships, 11 state championships in basketball, football, wrestling , and track. • Groves – competed at state the last 3 years in football, softball, wrestling, tennis, golf and track. • Jenkins – competed at state the last 2 years in baseball, cheerleading, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. • Johnson – competed at state the last 2 years in basketball, tennis, baseball, softball, track, and soccer. • SAA – competed at state the last 2 years in cross country, one act play, volleyball, literary, swimming, wrestling, soccer, tennis, and track. • SHS – did not respond • WFHS – competed at state the last 2 years in cross country, wrestling, tennis, soccer, and track.

10. OTHER CONCERNS • The Savannah Chatham County Public School System currently rents most athletic facilities at a cost of at approximately $35,000 per year. • The change in classification would cause scheduling conflicts. • SCCPSS does not own a football stadium • Rental costs will increase • Increase in travel when scheduling conflicts • Impact on revenue

11. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS • The current schools in Region 3-AAAAA wrote the constitution and by-laws which are used for competition. We, at any time, can amend this constitution but if we change classes, we would then use their class constitution and by-laws. • In Region 3-AAAAA, the Savannah Schools are guaranteed a minimum of 2 spots in the state play-offs per sport.

12. FUTURE OF SCCPSS ATHLETICS • If we leave Region 3-AAAAA, this class will no longer exist and we may not return to it. • One of our goals is to ensure growth and development that will raise the number of individual participants from 24% to 40%; • increasing attendance at each contest • building gate receipts • enabling a program to support upkeep and improvement of facilities. • increasing the coaches supplement • Increasing each team’s ability to compete