FHSAA Board approves creation of Rural Division

Most of the legwork and paper shuffling has been completed. All that remains for smaller high schools in the Panhandle to compete in a new “Rural Division” in sports starting with the 2011-2012 school year is getting enough of them to come onboard statewide.

The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday to create a new division to provide additional opportunities for competition for private and public schools in rural areas.

The Rural Division would be comprised of member high schools in communities which have been designated as rural by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED) and whose student enrollment is 500 or less.

The new classification would be limited to team sports in boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, boys and girls soccer, softball and girls volleyball.

“The vote was unanimous, sending a great message of hearing the concerns from our small rural schools, and that the board is willing to create an opportunity for fair and equitable competition for those schools that have a limited student population pool,” FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing said on the association’s website. “This was a vote that helps about 40 to 50 schools, and hurts no one.”

Tim Wilder, Gulf County Schools Superintendent who is president-elect of the FHSAA Board of Directors, said Wednesday that Dearing considers a threshold of 32 schools necessary for implementation.

“I would like to look at 40 and above for more validity,” Wilder said. “We may not get there, but at least 32 or more and be competitive. My goal is to have a Ponce de Leon, or a Paxton or a Bethlehem go and compete for a state championship.

“If this thing grows, 60 may be enough to form two different divisions.”

Wilder and Dearing will be involved in traveling the state to talk to schools which would be eligible for the new classification.

“My idea is to go into regional areas and have schools come to us,” Wilder said. “But if they’re not interested or do not understand the concept we very well could go to them and explain what this entails.”

When the Board of Directors meets in November, classification, district alignments, schedules and total participants could be determined. Wilder said there will be an appeals process for schools otherwise eligible, but slightly exceeding the enrollment of 500 or less.

In the Panhandle, that currently could affect schools such as Bratt Northview, South Walton, Bozeman and Chipley. Otherwise there are 24 Panhandle schools that fit the criteria, only 15 of them, however, that offer football.

Wilder stressed that new enrollment figures will be available in the fall, and that many smaller Panhandle schools are losing enrollment, not gaining.

“Most of our districts are declining,” Wilder said. “Even Bozeman might not be as high (547).”

Schools located from Pensacola to Tallahassee with enrollments of 500 or less:

• Altha (172), Baker (389), Bethlehem (164), Blountstown (417), Milton Central (174), Cottondale (248), Franklin County (278), Freeport (374), Graceville (228), Holmes County (468), Jay (274), Laurel Hill (116), Liberty County (327), Malone (150), Quincy Munroe (90), Paxton (193), Ponce de Leon (219), Poplar Springs (84), Port St. Joe (377), Rocky Bayou Christian (201), Sneads (388), Vernon (400), West Gadsden (238), Wewahitchka (260). From 500-600: Bozeman (547), Chipley (576), Bratt Northview (560), South Walton (574).