Competitive balance is on the CLOC.

On Monday, CHSAA released its agenda packet for the April 22 Legislative Council meeting and it’s setting up a potential shift in how some schools are classified.

Currently, schools placed in classifications through their enrollment numbers, although exceptions are made through appeals and choices of some schools to play up.

But depending on the outcome of a few votes, there could be a major shakeup with the way private and charter schools, as well as dominant teams, are placed in each two-year cycle.

Perhaps the most significant proposal on the agenda is Administrative Proposal 3 (ADM-3 (Board of Directors): Multiplier schools).

The proposal reads:

“1500.22 Enrollment data will be counted using the following policies:

(4) A member school shall have its three-year enrollment average multiplied by a factor of 1.5 if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

The school has a selective admission process for enrollment (e.g., Application/Admission process, lottery based enrollment)
The school has enrollment controls or restrictions (e.g., ability to deny enrollment, set enrollment caps)
The school has tuition and/or need-based aid availability (e.g., tuition-based enrollment, or need-based aid)”

This would be a major change in philosophy for classifying schools and would result in movements for a lot of private and charter schools. The multiplying of a three-year average of enrollment by 1.5 is something never done in the history of Colorado.

It has been done elsewhere.

Alabama has a modifier of 1.35 to private school enrollments. Arkansas hits their private schools with a modifier of 1.75. Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee all have some degree of modifier in place.

And then there are the dominant programs.

There is a separate proposal that would place dominant programs up a classification for a cycle. Their level of success after they are placed up would also determine whether they would be placed back in their classification of enrollment or remain elevated for the ensuing two-year cycle.

The proposal reads:

“1500. CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS

1500.45 A school’s program will be Placed Up for a two-year cycle if both of the following criteria are met:
(1) The program has won a State Championship in at least three of the last four years in that sport or activity

AND

(2) Additional criteria based on sport type:

Bracket Sports: In the most recent season, the program must have qualified for and competed in at least the semifinal round of the State Championship tournament for that sport or activity.

Non-Bracket Sports: In the most recent season, the program must have placed in the top 4 of the team scoring component of the State Championship event for that sport or activity.

1500.46 Any program that has been Placed Up in a classification for a two-year cycle will remain at that higher classification for the subsequent two-year cycle if the following condition is met:

Bracket Sports: In either of the two seasons of the two-year cycle, the program qualifies for and wins at least one contest in Postseason Competition in the relevant sport or activity.

For Non-Bracket Sports: In either of the two seasons of the two-year cycle, the program places in the top-10 in the state championship event in the relevant sport or activity.

If the program does not meet the above criteria, it will be placed in its classification of enrollment (as defined by bylaw 1500.21) at the start of the next two-year cycle.”

While there are examples that jump out right away, this doesn’t appear to affect as many programs as some believe it would. Eaton baseball would of course be a candidate to moved up to Class 4A.

If Merino girls track and field won the 1A team title this spring, that could make them a candidate to be moved up, same would go for the TCA and Peyton boys.

Cheyenne Mountain boys lacrosse and Denver Christian baseball could each capture a third title in a four-year span with wins this spring.

A Name, Image and Likeness proposal is also on the table along with appealing a player ejection based on video evidence.

Schools have about a month to read through the full Legislative Council packet and communicate with their leagues before all proposals go to vote on April 22.