Montgomery, AL – A error in the reporting of data for ALSDE, AHSAA adjusts reclassification with significant implications for classifications, regional alignments and area schools.
by Joe Medley
Anniston won’t be bumped into Class 5A during AHSAA 2024-26 reclassification. the dominoes fell to other schools in the area.
In response to the Alabama State Department of Education inaccuracy in reporting the enrollment of students, Anniston bumped back down to its current classification of 4A in the change in classification that will begin in 2024-25.
Anniston was reported to be moving up 5A, and sharing a region with Jacksonville and Jacksonville, both of which made the move up.
The adjustments made on Tuesday mean Anniston will be in 4A Region 6. It will share a border with Alexandria. Munford as well as Cleburne County, which had been aligned in 4A Region 6 and Region 6, now move north to join Region 3 which is a combination that includes Booker T. Washington, Bullock County, St. James, Talladega and Tallassee.
Alexandria replaces two possible gate-games (Munford, Cleburne County) and also gets another (Anniston).
In addition, the decision to remove Anniston out of Anniston’s Class 5A was also detrimental to Jacksonville’s newly created 5A region. Instead of having a natural rival Anniston to play a gate game, Jacksonville now aligns with Center Point that has been moved down from 6A.
The AHSAA’s changes also affected on the Class 3A region involving several area teams. Region 6 includes J.B. Pennington as a ninth team. The team joins Glencoe, Locust Fork, Ohatchee, Piedmont, Saks, Wellborn, Weaver and Westbrook Christian.
AHSAA classes for schools in the public sector are calculated on the average daily enrollment in grades 9-11 in the first 20 days following Labor Day. Private schools are also accounted for the 1.35 multiplier as well as “competitive equilibrium,” a scoring based on individual performance in sports.
In the announcement of Tuesday’s reclassification adjustments AHSAA announced “an mistake in the holdback/promotion part in the ADM data that was reported by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE).”
“After being notified of an error that could be causing the problem, the AHSAA asked the ALSDE to revise these data points,” according to the AHSAA release stated. “The ALSDE affirmed an error was found; as a result the corrected data was changed to change the classification of four schools: Brooks, Anniston, J.B. Pennington and Winfield.”
Brooks and Anniston both of which were in the class 5A, have been moved to class 4A. J.B. Pennington and Winfield were placed in the class of 4A are now assigned to 3A.
“The ALSDE regrets the error and apologizes to our schools that are members of the association,” said AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs.
The new classifications needed adjustments for volleyball, football and cross-country in Classes 5A 4A, 5A and 3A. The alignments for flag football and swimming & diving did not change according to the AHSAA statement said.
The Central Board of Control met on a Tuesday, and voted to approve the changes.
