Based on the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s member school enrollment statistics that were released Monday, Shelbyville High School’s athletics program will be reclassified to Class 3A in baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball beginning this fall.
In June, the IHSAA announced it would change how schools are classified in four-class sports. The IHSAA Executive Committee approved a percentage-based system and adjusted it to 20-25-25-30 ratio.
With this next classification cycle, the largest 20% of member schools will be Class 4A. Class 3A will be the next 25%. Class 2A would then be the next 25% with the smallest 30% of member schools being Class A.
“The Board of Directors recognized the concerns brought to us by the IIAAA (Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association) which were the enrollment gap in Class 4A and the smaller schools that were being moved up to a larger class without a significant enrollment change due to new member schools joining the Association,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig in a June media release. “This change also addresses a desire for schools to be in the same class in baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball but also gives us an opportunity to adjust those percentages in the future if necessary.”
The certified enrollment figures used by the IHSAA were provided by the Indiana Department of Education.
With the IHSAA releasing enrollment figures for 406 schools, the 81 largest schools will now comprise Class 4A in the four sports mentioned. With 1,093 students at Shelbyville High School, the school is the 90th largest school – and now will be one of the largest Class 3A schools.
The IHSAA has yet to announce the official cutoff numbers for each class. New sectional pairings also will come at a later date.
East Central, with an enrollment of 1,241, and Logansport, enrollment 1,226, are the 80th and 81st largest schools.
Of note, Greenwood (1,211), New Palestine (1,209), Cathedral (1,172) and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks (1,170) follow Logansport on the enrollment list.
Other notable schools close to Shelbyville geographically in Class 3A will be Roncalli (1,082), Connersville (930), Beech Grove (892), New Castle (824), Batesville (670), Greensburg (662), Rushville (645) and Indian Creek (636).
The new enrollment figures will not affect a reclassification for Triton Central (2A), Morristown (A), Southwestern (A) and Waldron (A).
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