2024-2026 SCHSL Realignment - 01/08/24 06:32 PM
Sumter – The new multiplier rule implemented by the South Carolina High School League for reclassification for the 2024-26 school years to try and help rectify a perceived competitive imbalance between charter and private schools and public schools – for football in particular -- has apparently had the desired effect.
Two-time defending Class A football state champion Christ Church Episcopal School will be competing at the AAAA level beginning next season. Sister charter schools Gray Collegiate Academy and Oceanside Collegiate Academy, who played for the AA football state title, will both move up. Oceanside, the defending champion, will play at AAA next season, while Gray, which had its Region 4-AA foes forfeit all of the games against it in protest of the competitive imbalance, will be playing at AAAA.
Southside Christian School and St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Greenville County schools and members of Region 1-Class A like Christ Church, will also be members of AAA.
The SCHSL released the five classifications on Tuesday based on the 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11 to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier for students who come from outside of a school’s attendance zone. The multiplier takes each student who lives outside of a school’s assigned attendance zone and counts it as three for total enrollment purposes.
Also, consideration was given to geographics and travel in the placement of schools in the classifications.
“Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.”
The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 18-19 of 2024 to hear appeals regarding the classification placements.
AAAAA will have 54 schools that will be split by enrollment for all sports and will crown two state champions because of the wide gap of enrollment size within the classification.
Dorman is the largest school in the state with a total enrollment of 3,106. The smallest school in AAAAA is Catawba Ridge with an enrollment of 1,319.
AAAA will have 46 schools, AAA will have 38, AA will have 40 schools and Class A will have 45 schools.
Class AAAAA Total Enrollment
1 Dorman High School 3,106
2 Carolina Forest High School 2,800
3 Summerville High School 2,623
4 James F. Byrnes High School 2,540
5 Spring Valley High School 2,502
6 Stratford High School 2,312
7 Ashley Ridge High School 2,300
8 Boiling Springs High School 2,262
9 Lexington High School 2,169
10 Clover High School 2,107
11 West Ashley High School 2,106
12 Wando High School 2,100
13 Sumter High School 2,054
14 Cane Bay High School 1,980
15 Mauldin High School 1,978
16 James Island Charter High School 1,968
17 Ridge View High School 1,909
18 Blythewood High School 1,901
19 J. L. Mann High School 1,887
20 Spartanburg High School 1,883
21 River Bluff High School 1,882
22 Fort Dorchester High School 1,858
23 R. B. Stall High School 1,844
24 Rock Hill High School 1,833
25 Wade Hampton High School 1,833
26 Dutch Fork High School 1,823
27 Socastee High School 1,741
28 Hillcrest High School 1,699
29 Woodmont High School 1,693
30 Goose Creek High School 1,685
31 Conway High School 1,670
32 Westwood High School 1,664
33 White Knoll High School 1,664
34 Greenville High School 1,655
35 Berkeley High School 1,644
36 Chapin High School 1,643
37 Eastside High School 1,633
38 Easley High School 1,626
39 T. L. Hanna High School 1,614
40 Fort Mill High School 1,605
41 St. James High School 1,596
42 Greenwood High School 1,587
43 West Florence High School 1,558
44 Gaffney High School 1,556
45 Northwestern High School 1,534
46 Indian Land High School 1,492
47 Nation Ford High School 1,485
48 Lugoff-Elgin High School 1,484
49 Riverside High School 1,463
50 Lucy Garrett Beckham High School 1,450
51 Irmo High School 1,440
52 North Myrtle Beach High School 1,420
53 Myrtle Beach High School 1,362
54 Catawba Ridge High School 1,319
Class AAAA Total Enrollment
1 North Augusta High School 1,411
2 May River High School 1,407
3 Richland Northeast High School 1,400
4 Westside High School 1,379
5 South Florence High School 1,358
6 Midland Valley High School 1,326
7 Gray Collegiate Academy High School 1,296
8 South Pointe High School 1,275
9 Travelers Rest High School 1,274
10 Bluffton High School 1,262
11 Dreher High School 1,246
12 Laurens District 55 High School 1,241
13 South Aiken High School 1,236
14 Airport High School 1,232
15 Fountain Inn High School 1,227
16 Greer High School 1,226
17 Aiken High School 1,220
18 York Comprehensive High School 1,210
19 A. C. Flora High School 1,208
20 Fox Creek High School 1,177
21 Wilson High School 1,158
22 Beaufort High School 1,156
23 Berea High School 1,147
24 Colleton County High School 1,139
25 Pickens High School 1,137
26 Greenville Tech Charter High School 1,131
27 Lancaster High School 1,118
28 Brookland-Cayce High School 1,114
29 Lower Richland High School 1,109
30 Bishop England High School 1,099
31 Greer Middle College Charter High School 1,090
32 D. W. Daniel High School 1,084
33 Hilton Head Island High School 1,050
34 Hartsville High School 1,049
35 Wren High School 1,045
36 Southside High School 1,042
37 Blue Ridge High School 1,037
38 Gilbert High School 1,027
39 York Preparatory Academy High School 991
40 Emerald High School 990
41 Camden High School 966
42 Seneca High School 958
43 Darlington High School 956
44 Christ Church Episcopal High School 952
45 Crestwood High School 946
AAA Total Enrollment
1 American Leadership Academy High School 934
2 Georgetown High School 933
3 Chapman High School 929
4 Palmetto High School 929
5 Walhalla High School 888
6 Hanahan High School 874
7 Marlboro County High School 874
8 North Charleston High School 873
9 Powdersville High School 869
10 W. J. Keenan High School 866
11 Union County High School 857
12 Belton-Honea Path High School 851
13 Carolina Academy High School 851
14 Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School 849
15 Brashier Middle College Charter High School 840
16 Aynor High School 828
17 Oceanside Collegiate Academy High School 814
18 High Point Academy High School 808
19 Swansea High School 801
20 Loris High School 777
21 Landrum High School 776
22 GREEN Upstate High School 770
23 Waccamaw High School 770
24 Battery Creek High School 769
25 Mountain View Preparatory Charter High School 768
26 Pendleton High School 764
27 Broome High School 753
28 Horse Creek Academy High School 751
29 St. Joseph's Catholic High School 748
30 Crescent High School 724
31 Woodruff High School 724
32 Bridges Preparatory High School 689
33 Silver Bluff High School 686
34 West-Oak High School 686
35 Dillon High School 683
36 Southside Christian High School 676
37 Newberry High School 673
38 Charleston Charter Math & Science High School 672
AA Total Enrollment
1 Lake City High School 655
2 Strom Thurmond High School 654
3 Chesnee High School 633
4 Clinton High School 625
5 Manning High School 613
6 Chester High School 610
7 Columbia High School 609
8 Philip Simmons High School 608
9 Saluda High School 601
10 Liberty High School 580
11 Timberland High School 580
12 Academic Magnet High School 572
13 Pelion High School 572
14 Blacksburg High School 566
15 Woodland High School 562
16 Lake Marion High School 559
17 Mid-Carolina High School 554
18 Cheraw High School 553
19 Andrew Jackson High School 552
20 Kingstree High School 551
21 Edisto High School 550
22 Central High School 549
23 Eau Claire High School 543
24 North Central High School 540
25 Hampton County High School 533
26 Andrews High School 518
27 Mullins High School 516
28 Buford High School 511
29 Fairfield Central High School 506
30 Marion High School 499
31 Batesburg-Leesville High School 481
32 Barnwell High School 474
33 Ninety Six High School 473
34 Atlantic Collegiate Academy High School 470
35 Burke High School 469
36 Chesterfield High School 463
37 Palmetto Scholars Academy High School 455
38 Whale Branch Early College High School 437
39 East Clarendon High School 406
40 Abbeville High School
Class A Total Enrollment
1 Latta High School 396
2 St. John's High School 387
3 Carvers Bay Early College High School 384
4 Dixie High School 362
5 Hannah Pamplico High School 358
6 Lewisville High School 349
7 Johnsonville High School 337
8 C. A. Johnson High School 336
9 Green Sea Floyds High School 335
10 Lee Central High School 334
11 Lake View High School 329
12 Calhoun County High School 323
13 Riverwalk Academy High School 323
14 Ridgeland Secondary High School 322
15 Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School 316
16 McBee High School 311
17 Hardeeville High School 288
18 Ridge Spring-Monetta High School 280
19 Baptist Hill High School 279
20 Allendale-Fairfax High School 246
21 Lamar High School 229
22 Great Falls High School 225
23 Ware Shoals High School 225
24 Wagener-Salley High School 215
25 Lowcountry Leadership Charter High School 212
26 Thornwell Charter High School 210
27 Williston-Elko High School 192
28 Military Magnet Academy High School 184
29 Bethune-Bowman High School 176
30 McCormick High School 171
31 Royal Live Oaks Academy High School 163
32 Whitmire Community High School 151
33 Governor's School for Science and Mathematics High School 150
34 Branchville High School 149
35 Cross High School 149
36 Scott's Branch High School 149
37 Hemingway High School 145
38 Denmark Olar High School 142
39 Polaris Tech Charter High School 128
40 Blackville-Hilda High School 122
41 North High School 118
42 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School 112
43 Calhoun Falls Charter High School 83
44 Midlands STEM Institute High School 63
45 SC School For Deaf & Blind High School 39
Two-time defending Class A football state champion Christ Church Episcopal School will be competing at the AAAA level beginning next season. Sister charter schools Gray Collegiate Academy and Oceanside Collegiate Academy, who played for the AA football state title, will both move up. Oceanside, the defending champion, will play at AAA next season, while Gray, which had its Region 4-AA foes forfeit all of the games against it in protest of the competitive imbalance, will be playing at AAAA.
Southside Christian School and St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Greenville County schools and members of Region 1-Class A like Christ Church, will also be members of AAA.
The SCHSL released the five classifications on Tuesday based on the 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11 to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier for students who come from outside of a school’s attendance zone. The multiplier takes each student who lives outside of a school’s assigned attendance zone and counts it as three for total enrollment purposes.
Also, consideration was given to geographics and travel in the placement of schools in the classifications.
“Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.”
The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 18-19 of 2024 to hear appeals regarding the classification placements.
AAAAA will have 54 schools that will be split by enrollment for all sports and will crown two state champions because of the wide gap of enrollment size within the classification.
Dorman is the largest school in the state with a total enrollment of 3,106. The smallest school in AAAAA is Catawba Ridge with an enrollment of 1,319.
AAAA will have 46 schools, AAA will have 38, AA will have 40 schools and Class A will have 45 schools.
Class AAAAA Total Enrollment
1 Dorman High School 3,106
2 Carolina Forest High School 2,800
3 Summerville High School 2,623
4 James F. Byrnes High School 2,540
5 Spring Valley High School 2,502
6 Stratford High School 2,312
7 Ashley Ridge High School 2,300
8 Boiling Springs High School 2,262
9 Lexington High School 2,169
10 Clover High School 2,107
11 West Ashley High School 2,106
12 Wando High School 2,100
13 Sumter High School 2,054
14 Cane Bay High School 1,980
15 Mauldin High School 1,978
16 James Island Charter High School 1,968
17 Ridge View High School 1,909
18 Blythewood High School 1,901
19 J. L. Mann High School 1,887
20 Spartanburg High School 1,883
21 River Bluff High School 1,882
22 Fort Dorchester High School 1,858
23 R. B. Stall High School 1,844
24 Rock Hill High School 1,833
25 Wade Hampton High School 1,833
26 Dutch Fork High School 1,823
27 Socastee High School 1,741
28 Hillcrest High School 1,699
29 Woodmont High School 1,693
30 Goose Creek High School 1,685
31 Conway High School 1,670
32 Westwood High School 1,664
33 White Knoll High School 1,664
34 Greenville High School 1,655
35 Berkeley High School 1,644
36 Chapin High School 1,643
37 Eastside High School 1,633
38 Easley High School 1,626
39 T. L. Hanna High School 1,614
40 Fort Mill High School 1,605
41 St. James High School 1,596
42 Greenwood High School 1,587
43 West Florence High School 1,558
44 Gaffney High School 1,556
45 Northwestern High School 1,534
46 Indian Land High School 1,492
47 Nation Ford High School 1,485
48 Lugoff-Elgin High School 1,484
49 Riverside High School 1,463
50 Lucy Garrett Beckham High School 1,450
51 Irmo High School 1,440
52 North Myrtle Beach High School 1,420
53 Myrtle Beach High School 1,362
54 Catawba Ridge High School 1,319
Class AAAA Total Enrollment
1 North Augusta High School 1,411
2 May River High School 1,407
3 Richland Northeast High School 1,400
4 Westside High School 1,379
5 South Florence High School 1,358
6 Midland Valley High School 1,326
7 Gray Collegiate Academy High School 1,296
8 South Pointe High School 1,275
9 Travelers Rest High School 1,274
10 Bluffton High School 1,262
11 Dreher High School 1,246
12 Laurens District 55 High School 1,241
13 South Aiken High School 1,236
14 Airport High School 1,232
15 Fountain Inn High School 1,227
16 Greer High School 1,226
17 Aiken High School 1,220
18 York Comprehensive High School 1,210
19 A. C. Flora High School 1,208
20 Fox Creek High School 1,177
21 Wilson High School 1,158
22 Beaufort High School 1,156
23 Berea High School 1,147
24 Colleton County High School 1,139
25 Pickens High School 1,137
26 Greenville Tech Charter High School 1,131
27 Lancaster High School 1,118
28 Brookland-Cayce High School 1,114
29 Lower Richland High School 1,109
30 Bishop England High School 1,099
31 Greer Middle College Charter High School 1,090
32 D. W. Daniel High School 1,084
33 Hilton Head Island High School 1,050
34 Hartsville High School 1,049
35 Wren High School 1,045
36 Southside High School 1,042
37 Blue Ridge High School 1,037
38 Gilbert High School 1,027
39 York Preparatory Academy High School 991
40 Emerald High School 990
41 Camden High School 966
42 Seneca High School 958
43 Darlington High School 956
44 Christ Church Episcopal High School 952
45 Crestwood High School 946
AAA Total Enrollment
1 American Leadership Academy High School 934
2 Georgetown High School 933
3 Chapman High School 929
4 Palmetto High School 929
5 Walhalla High School 888
6 Hanahan High School 874
7 Marlboro County High School 874
8 North Charleston High School 873
9 Powdersville High School 869
10 W. J. Keenan High School 866
11 Union County High School 857
12 Belton-Honea Path High School 851
13 Carolina Academy High School 851
14 Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School 849
15 Brashier Middle College Charter High School 840
16 Aynor High School 828
17 Oceanside Collegiate Academy High School 814
18 High Point Academy High School 808
19 Swansea High School 801
20 Loris High School 777
21 Landrum High School 776
22 GREEN Upstate High School 770
23 Waccamaw High School 770
24 Battery Creek High School 769
25 Mountain View Preparatory Charter High School 768
26 Pendleton High School 764
27 Broome High School 753
28 Horse Creek Academy High School 751
29 St. Joseph's Catholic High School 748
30 Crescent High School 724
31 Woodruff High School 724
32 Bridges Preparatory High School 689
33 Silver Bluff High School 686
34 West-Oak High School 686
35 Dillon High School 683
36 Southside Christian High School 676
37 Newberry High School 673
38 Charleston Charter Math & Science High School 672
AA Total Enrollment
1 Lake City High School 655
2 Strom Thurmond High School 654
3 Chesnee High School 633
4 Clinton High School 625
5 Manning High School 613
6 Chester High School 610
7 Columbia High School 609
8 Philip Simmons High School 608
9 Saluda High School 601
10 Liberty High School 580
11 Timberland High School 580
12 Academic Magnet High School 572
13 Pelion High School 572
14 Blacksburg High School 566
15 Woodland High School 562
16 Lake Marion High School 559
17 Mid-Carolina High School 554
18 Cheraw High School 553
19 Andrew Jackson High School 552
20 Kingstree High School 551
21 Edisto High School 550
22 Central High School 549
23 Eau Claire High School 543
24 North Central High School 540
25 Hampton County High School 533
26 Andrews High School 518
27 Mullins High School 516
28 Buford High School 511
29 Fairfield Central High School 506
30 Marion High School 499
31 Batesburg-Leesville High School 481
32 Barnwell High School 474
33 Ninety Six High School 473
34 Atlantic Collegiate Academy High School 470
35 Burke High School 469
36 Chesterfield High School 463
37 Palmetto Scholars Academy High School 455
38 Whale Branch Early College High School 437
39 East Clarendon High School 406
40 Abbeville High School
Class A Total Enrollment
1 Latta High School 396
2 St. John's High School 387
3 Carvers Bay Early College High School 384
4 Dixie High School 362
5 Hannah Pamplico High School 358
6 Lewisville High School 349
7 Johnsonville High School 337
8 C. A. Johnson High School 336
9 Green Sea Floyds High School 335
10 Lee Central High School 334
11 Lake View High School 329
12 Calhoun County High School 323
13 Riverwalk Academy High School 323
14 Ridgeland Secondary High School 322
15 Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School 316
16 McBee High School 311
17 Hardeeville High School 288
18 Ridge Spring-Monetta High School 280
19 Baptist Hill High School 279
20 Allendale-Fairfax High School 246
21 Lamar High School 229
22 Great Falls High School 225
23 Ware Shoals High School 225
24 Wagener-Salley High School 215
25 Lowcountry Leadership Charter High School 212
26 Thornwell Charter High School 210
27 Williston-Elko High School 192
28 Military Magnet Academy High School 184
29 Bethune-Bowman High School 176
30 McCormick High School 171
31 Royal Live Oaks Academy High School 163
32 Whitmire Community High School 151
33 Governor's School for Science and Mathematics High School 150
34 Branchville High School 149
35 Cross High School 149
36 Scott's Branch High School 149
37 Hemingway High School 145
38 Denmark Olar High School 142
39 Polaris Tech Charter High School 128
40 Blackville-Hilda High School 122
41 North High School 118
42 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School 112
43 Calhoun Falls Charter High School 83
44 Midlands STEM Institute High School 63
45 SC School For Deaf & Blind High School 39