The latest proposals the OSAA’s Classification and Districting Committee released Tuesday would move the sports teams from high schools like North Salem, Woodburn, Gervais, Chemawa and Jefferson down a classification from where they would play according to their enrollment.
North Salem’s football team takes the field before the McKay vs. North Salem football game at North Salem High School on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016.
The biggest issue the committee is facing currently is whether to put Oregon’s high schools in six classifications or five.
The majority of 6A schools support dropping to five classifications from the current six, which Oregon has had since moving from four classifications starting in 2006.
But the committee has put forward versions that would put schools in five classifications and split the schools in the highest classification into two classifications only for football.
In the first two proposals, both in six and five class systems, there are drafts that would put Salem-Keizer public schools McKay, McNary, South Salem, Sprague and West Salem in a league with Bend schools Bend, Mountain View and Summit.
But each proposal also has a version with the five Salem-Keizer schools playing in a smaller league with McMinnville or West Albany.
In the proposal that would split schools into six classifications for football only, the formula used to split schools includes total games, total wins, winning percentage and average participation.
In the football only model, McKay, McNary, South Salem, Sprague, West Albany and West Salem would play in a special district with Canby and McMinnville.
North Salem, meanwhile, would play in a special district with Central, Crescent Valley, Dallas, Lebanon, Newberg, Silverton, South Albany and Wilsonville.
In the proposals Woodburn would move down to 4A from 5A in the six-class system.
Chemawa, Gervais and Jefferson would play in 2A leagues.
The redistricting process has become contentious, but at a different level than ever before.
Hermiston has applied to join the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. That sanctioning body has tabled a vote on accepting Hermiston.
In most of the proposals so far, including most of the most recent ones, Hermiston would move up to the top classification and play in leagues composed of Portland-area schools like Central Catholic and Oregon City.
High schools in California and Arizona play in leagues in Nevada.
The next public meeting of the committee will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 27 at the OSAA’s office in Wilsonville.
The committee will make its final recommendation for the 2018-2022 time block to the OSAA Executive board in October.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler