Area teams will stay put in proposed VHSL alignment

The Northwestern District currently has 13 schools, seven in Class 4, six in Class 3. In the proposed plan Culpeper County will go from being a Class 3 Northwestern District school to a Class 4 Northwestern District school, which means there would be eight Class 4 Northwestern District schools. Culpeper would compete against fellow Class 4 schools Handley, James Wood, Millbrook, Sherando, Fauquier, Liberty and Kettle Run in all sports.

The Northwestern District will gain two more schools overall in the proposed plan, as current Bull Run District schools George Mason and Central have been approved as Class 3 Northwestern District schools.

Clarke County is currently in the Bull Run District. In the proposed plan, the Bull Run would still field Clarke County, Madison County, Rappahannock County and Strasburg, but Luray, Page County and Stonewall Jackson (Quicksburg) have been approved as new members to create a seven-team district. All but Rappahannock County (Class 1) are Class 2 schools.

The VHSL Alignment Committee will meet on July 25 to review requests from schools that wanted to move into districts from the ones that they have been assigned. These requests were tabled until the districts could vote. These votes have now taken place and the committee can act on these requests at the July 25 meeting.

There will be no appeals heard at the July 25 meeting. The Appeals Hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21 at the VHSL office. The VHSL Executive Committee will meet in September to approve the alignment plan.

Traditionally, the VHSL has operated in two-year cycles, but the next alignment plan will be in place for four years. It will last from the 2019-20 school year to the 2022-23 school year.