Gray Collegiate among 22 schools that will appeal new class placement for SC sports

Lou Bezjak
·10 min read

Gray Collegiate and Christ Church will be among the 22 high schools that will make appeals next week regarding the South Carolina High School League’s proposed realignment.

The list of schools scheduled to make appeals was sent out to the state’s athletic directors on Friday via an email obtained by The State.

Appeals will be presented to the 17-member SCHSL executive committee on Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m. each day. If the appeal is denied, the school can appeal that decision to the league’s appellate panel in hearings next week on Thursday and Friday.

Most of the appeals are coming from private or charter schools, including Gray and Christ Church. Gray Collegiate, which has been dominant in Class 2A, was assigned to go up two classes to 4A but is appealing to be in 3A.

Christ Church, a private school located in Greenville and one of Class A’s dominant programs, was assigned to go up three levels to Class 4A but is appealing to be in Class 3A.

American Leadership Academy, a charter school that opened this year in Lexington, is appealing to stay in Class 2A instead of being elevated to 3A.

Only three traditional public schools are making appeals. Abbeville is appealing to go from 2A to Class A, and Seneca is asking to go from 4A to 3A. Burke is appealing to stay in Class A instead of moving up to 2A.

Realignment happens in the state every two years and is done to level the competitive playing field among schools. This year’s realignment included a multiplier for the first time. The out-of-zone multiplier took each student who lives outside of a school’s assigned attendance zone and counted them as three for total enrollment purposes. The result inflated schools’ official enrollment figures and — in some cases — raised schools up one or multiple levels in classification for athletics.

After the classifications are finalized, there will be a classification organizational meeting in late January or early February, followed by region placements. The executive committee will then hear appeals regarding region placement on Feb. 6-8.

Any other appeals will be heard by the SCHSL executive committee on Feb. 13. The appellate panel will hear any final appeals on Feb. 20.

The final realignment with region placements will be released on Feb. 22.

Appeal Schedule

Tuesday

Abbeville HS (Change from Class 2A to Class A)

Fox Creek HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 3A)

Seneca HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 3A)

Southside Christian HS (Change from 3A to Class 2A)

Brashier Middle College HS (Change from Class 3A to Class 2A or Class A)

High Point Academy (Change from Class 3A to Class A)

James Island Charter HS (Change from Class 5A to 4A

Charleston Charter Math & Science HS (Change from Class 3A to Class 2A or Class A)

Burke HS (Change from Class AA to Class A)

Gray Collegiate Academy (Change from Class 4A to 3A

Horse Creek Academy (Change from Class 3A to 2A or Class A

St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Change from 3A to Class 2A)

Wednesday

Greer Middle College HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 3A or Class 2A)

Christ Church HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 3A)

Green Upstate HS (Change from Class 3A to Class 2A or Class A)

Bridges Preparatory (Change from Class 3A to Class 2A or Class A)

American Leadership Academy (Change Class from Class 3A to 2A

Landrum HS (Change from Class 3A to Class 2A)

Bishop England HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 3A)

York Prep HS (Change from Class 4A to Class AA)

Greenville Tech Charter HS (Change from Class 4A to Class 2A)

Palmetto Scholars Academy (Change Class from 2A to Class A)

Proposed Realignment

Here is list by classes of realignment. (Schools in bold moved up or down from the last realignment.)

▪ Class 5A (54)

  • 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 4A (46)

  • 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

  • 46 Lakewood High School 892

▪ Class 3A (38)

  • 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

▪ Class 2A (40)

  • 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 379

▪ Class A (45)

  • 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