Ark Valley News - Enrollment keeps Valley Center in 5A

Enrollment keeps Valley Center in 5A
By Matt Heilman
Last Updated: October 02, 2014

Official numbers from the Sept. 22 headcount have been announced with all 352 high schools affiliated with the Kansas State High School Activities Association sorted into six classifications. Valley Center remains among the state's largest 64 high schools by enrollment and will continue to compete in Class 5A in every competition, including athletics, band and choir, scholars bowl, debate and forensics and chess.

The state's largest 32 high schools by total enrollment of ninth- through 12th-graders are classified in 6A. The next 32 largest schools are in 5A. The next 64 are in 4A, which starting last year, was split into two divisions. There are also 64 schools each in Classes 3A and 2A. The state's smallest 96 schools are in Class 1A.

KSHSAA schools range in size from 2,301 students at Wichita East down to five students enrolled at Atchison-Riverbend International School in the northeast corner of the state.

Valley Center has a total enrollment of 851 high school students, which ranks 23rd in total enrollment among 32 Class 5A schools.

Wichita Heights is the largest 5A school with a total high school enrollment of 1,386. Maize South, which joins Valley Center in Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II, is the smallest Class 5A school with an enrollment of 760.

A notable change in the classifications is AVCTL II representative Andover Central's return to Class 5A after being a 4A high school last year. The shift moves the Jaguars up in every sport except for football.

Classifications for football are figured on an every-other-year basis to assign districts in two-year blocks. With new districts assigned based on last year's classifications, Andover Central will compete in a Class 4A district in football this fall while every other sport at the school will compete in Class 5A sub-state regional tournaments.

There is a similar situation at Maize and Wichita West which are both moving up from Class 5A to 6A. Both schools will compete in 6A this year in every sport but football.

Maize is in Valley Center's football district this fall along with Bishop Carroll and Maize South.