The Ohio High School Athletic Association has reversed a decision that would have pitted many urban teams against schools with far larger enrollment.
In May, OHSAA ruled that charter school students would be added to the enrollment figures of their home districts. In some cases, like Columbus' Africentric School, the decision nearly doubled the student count, and vaulted the school from division 7 to division 4 in football, and pushed boys and girls basketball teams up at least one level.
Urban coaches, whose teams were disproportionately affected by the ruling, were outraged, saying the new divisions deprived their kids of the winning exposure that could lead to college recruitment and scholarships. Several districts, including Columbus, had filed appeals with the Athletic Association, and some suggested withdrawing from the organization and forming their own league for statewide tournaments.
In a press release today, OHSAA says the negative response, as well as the fact that very few charter school students participate in public school sports, led the board to reconsider the decision. The organization is scrambling to redraw divisions in time for the fall season, and is forming a committee to study how to best incorporate charter school students.
