The Arkansas Activities Association has released a plan for private schools that they are hoping will help create a more balanced competition as the Arkansas State House of Representatives is set to hear House Bill 1097 on Thursday.
The bill is asking for Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 1, is amended 22 to add an additional section stating that the Arkansas Activities Association shall create two separate athletic conference systems for public schools and 27 private schools and play-off and state tournament systems for public 29 schools and private schools.
Last week, the Arkansas Activities Association released the Competitive Equity Factor, which would create a system allowing private schools to either move up or down in classifications depending on their performance in the four seasons previous to the request to change classifications.
A majority of member schools will have to approve the measure, which will start in the 2022-23 academic year if approved. The measure would also be applied retroactively.
The formula will award points to a team based on results in a given season. If a team ends with a winning conference record, it would earn one point. A state playoff win is worth two, a state finals appearance worth three and a state championship four.
This will allow a team to earn a maximum of four points per season, and a total of 10 points in the four-season time period would then be considered “dominant” and would be moved into a higher classification.
A team, such as Pulaski Academy, which has won three state titles and finished runner up in a state title game over the past four years would tally enough points to be elevated to Class 6A from Class 5A. Another Class 5A team, Little Rock Christian, would also be bumped up to Class 6A given the current proposal due to their recent success.
Likewise, any private school team that finished with a losing record over a four-season time span would be moved down in classification.
Member schools will vote on the proposal this summer at the annual Arkansas Activities Association meetings.
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