<>
[Back to News]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-March 31, 2004
Contact: John Johnson, Andy Frushour or Randy Allen
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

School Classifications For 2004-05 Announced

EAST LANSING, Mich. – March 31 – The 2004-05 school year classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and post-season tournaments in traditionally classified sports
(A, B, C, D) have been announced.

Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which was February 25. The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to Sept. 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district.

After all the counts are submitted, the 762 tournament-qualified member schools are ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2004-05, it works out that 190 schools are in Classes A and B, and 191 schools are in Classes C and D. (A complete enrollment list can be found on the Adminstration page of the MHSAA Web Site.)

Effective with the 2004-05 school year, schools with 1,036 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 489 to 1,035; Class C is 234 to 488; and schools with enrollments of 233 and under are Class D. The break decreased 6 students between Classes A and B; decreased 8 students between Classes B and C; and the break between Classes C and D increased by 1 student.

Schools were recently notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said that schools may not appeal their classification if the appeal is to play in a lower class.

However, if revised enrollment figures indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up.

The new classification breaks will see 12 schools move up in class for 2004-05, while 13 schools will move down.

Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports, and October 15 for spring sports.

MHSAA tournament sports conducted in traditional classifications for 2004-05 are Basketball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Girls Gymnastics, Skiing and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points. Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Cross Country, Golf, Ice Hockey, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, and Wrestling. Soccer will have 20 percent of sponsoring schools in Division 4 and the remaining schools divided equally into Divisions 1, 2 and 3. The division breaks in those sports, except Football, will be announced in April. (Note: Visit the respective sports pages on the MHSAA Web Site to review the divisional alignments) The eight divisions of the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004. A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2004-05 school year can be found on the Administration page of the MHSAA Web site.

When the MHSAA conducts its first tournaments in Lacrosse in the Spring of 2005, the separate tournaments for girls and boys will be in two equal divisions. The list of sponsoring schools by divisions will be posted in January, 2005.

Here is a complete list of the schools changing classification for 2004-05 (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administration page of the MHSAA Web site):

Moving Up From Class C To Class B
Cass City
Almont
Elk Rapids
Flint Beecher
Freeland

Moving Down From Class B To Class C
Flat Rock
Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Clawson
Farwell

Moving Up From Class D To Class C
Detroit Weston Technical Academy
Ontonagon

Moving Down From Class C To Class D
Pittsford
Martin
Marion
Detroit St. Martin dePorres

New Post-Season Tournament Schools in 2004-05
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern (Class B)
Detroit Consortium College Prep (Class C)
Dearborn Advanced Technological Academy (Class C)
Detroit Winans Academy of Performing Arts (Class C)
Detroit University Prep (Class C)
Detroit Allen Academy (Class D)
Battle Creek Calhoun Christian School (Class D)
Kinross Maplewood Baptist Academy (Class D)

Enrollment Breaks By Classes � 2004-05
(Number of schools in parenthesis)
Class A - 1,036 and above (190)
Class B - 489 to 1,035 (190)
Class C - 234 to 488 (191)
Class D - 233 and below (191)

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,200 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.