SC lawmakers hear all sides of high school sports hot-button issues, fairness concerns

The state House Education and Public Works Ad Hoc Committee on high school athletics held its second meeting Wednesday to discuss multiple issues facing high school sports in the state.

Unlike the first meeting, this one had public testimony on such topics as competitive balance, the growing success of charter schools and the future of the S.C. High School League. Here are five takeaways from the meeting:

Future of the SCHSL

In the first meeting Sept. 11, state Rep. Shannon Erickson, chairwoman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, said the S.C. High School League needed to restructure and that changes needed to be made.

Erickson has proposed bill H. 4388, which would move the governing body of high school athletics from the current High School League to a “division of interscholastic athletics” as part of the state Department of Education. The SCHSL is a public entity, but not a state agency, and has managed athletics for more than 100 years.

But not everyone is in favor of moving governance of high school sports to be under the Department of Education

Newberry athletic director Chad Cary made a plea Wednesday to keep the SCHSL as is and let member schools sort out its issues.

“We are at a crossroads for the direction of our league,” Cary said. “Today I am asking not to turn the high school league over to the department for several reasons. The league has been running things for over 100 years. And, yes we have problems, but we can fix them.”

Gray Collegiate weighs in

Gray Collegiate Academy principal Brian Newsome was among the those who spoke Wednesday on behalf of the charter schools. Kevin Mason, executive director of Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina, also spoke along with Fox Creek principal Josh Trahan. Fox Creek is a charter school in North Augusta. Andrea Gregory, whose daughter attends Gray Collegiate, also spoke.

Charter and private schools have come under fire because of their domination in sports over the past five years in Class A and 2A — the classifications that feature the state’s smallest schools. Gray has been one of the most successful charter schools, winning multiple state championships in 2A over the last three years.

Newsome contended that Gray hasn’t won every championship. Last season, the War Eagles won titles in boys and girls basketball and competitive cheer while finishing second in boys soccer and baseball.

Gray has had no recruiting violations, according to Newsome, a response to whispers of how the school fields successful athletic teams.

Newsome repeated his stance that Gray has no problem playing up in classification. He supports the use of success- or enrollment-based multipliers to determine classifications — as long it’s for all schools and not just charters.

Asked what makes Gray successful and a popular choice for students and parents, Newsome cited the school’s dual enrollment options for college courses and the “sense of safety” they provide.

Russell Ott speaks about his bill, proviso

Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, spoke Wednesday about the growing need for change and action. He also talked about his proposed bill that that would require public and charter schools to play up two classifications. In Gray’s case, that would mean moving up from 2A to 4A.

“Something is amiss when you have a handful of schools dominating at this particular level. Something is not right,” Ott said. “Our rural schools are not able to compete with these other institutions.”

Ott also defended the SCHSL and said changes in competitive balance need to be addressed and “moved with speed.”

“Their model has worked well and can continue to work well,” Ott said. “We just have to deal with the change in educational forms with public charter and private schools that are competing within the High School League. We have seen more and more of these institutions of learning come into the system and see what the results have been.

“I think competitive balance is going to be disrupted when you see one school that is a certain model compete against the other school that has a different model. That is what we all are trying to balance.”

Ott was among those Wednesday who contended that a longstanding proviso that’s included the state budget every year — one that says the charters and privates can’t be treated any differently from the traditional schools — prevents the SCHSL from directly making certain changes regarding competitive balance.

“The proviso truly ties the hands of the High School League,” Ott said. “They don’t have any choice but to treat every member the same way. They have no flexibility.”

In defense of forfeits

Fairfield Central football coach Demetrius Davis and district Superintendent J.R. Green also spoke Wednesday.

Fairfield Central has been at the forefront of the competitive balance debate and was the first to forfeit games against Gray Collegiate in the spring. Fairfield and the rest of the Region 4-2A schools followed up this school year by saying they’ll forfeit all region contests in all sports against Gray.

Davis addressed the school’s decision to forfeit games and responded to the criticism brought on by some from the committee.

Rep. Bill Hager, R-Hampton, said Wednesday that forfeits coming after the formation of the committee weren’t a good look. In the first meeting, Rep. Jeff Bradley, R-Beaufort, said, “If they don’t want to take a shellacking, why should they be playing anyway?”

Davis took issue with that.

“I heard we were scared to play and everyone is running from competition and what are we teaching our kids?” Davis said. “We are teaching our kids to stand up when we know something isn’t right. … We shouldn’t compete on a level when you are comparing apples and oranges.”

Ott also spoke up in support of the forfeits, saying that those decisions prompted these discussions to find a solution.

“I don’t think anyone is scared to play anyone,” Ott said. “But at the end of day you want it to be a fair fight, a fair competition, and that isn’t what we have right now. ... I commend some of our public schools that have said, enough is enough. That is not an easy thing to do, to forfeit games.”

What’s next? Solutions floated

Green, who plans to retire during this school year, suggested that there should be two divisions in the S.C. High School League — one for traditional schools and one for private/charter schools.

There were 219 schools in the S.C. High School League as of the 2022-24 league realignment, a process that groups schools by classification and is updated every two years. Of those, 15 are charter schools and four are private schools — and four new charter schools have been approved for membership.

Six bills have been filed in the Legislature in the past year regarding high school athletics, including the ones by Ott and Erickson.

Debbie Elmore of the S.C. School Board Association spoke Wednesday and said her organization is in favor of the charter schools competing in their own playoffs.

There will be plenty more discussion ahead.

The S.C. High School League’s executive committee recently held its first meeting to discuss competitive balance. Newsome also has formed a committee on the same issue, and they are meeting for the second time next week.

The state House Education and Public Works Ad Hoc Committee will hold a third meeting regarding high school sports, again with public testimony, in mid-October. Its ultimate goal is form a list of recommendations, some of which could be considered and voted on when the next legislative session starts in January.

“There is lots to be said on the issue,” Erickson said after the meeting. “... I’m thrilled we have heard from all different sides. The independent schools were here, the charter schools were here, the high school league was here and traditional schools were here. I feel like we are getting a good discussion, getting pieces and parts and getting clarity as we move along. We are making progress..”