A Pennsylvania State Representative in Beaver County introduced a bill aimed to resolve problems with the way the state’s schools are classified for athletic competition.
According to State Representative Rob Matzie (D), the legislation will tackle problems with the way athletic classifications are handled for Pennsylvania’s 1,400 public, private and charter schools.
The legislation comes a few weeks after PIAA’s competition classification formula said the Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School football program had to move from Class 4A, where they won a state title in November, to Class 5A.
>> Aliquippa football to be moved to Class 5A after winning championship, PIAA says
According to Rep. Matzie, the bill addresses longstanding concerns that PIAA’s procedure for classifying schools places student athletes in harm’s way and skews competitions in favor of wealthier schools and those with larger enrollment numbers.
The formula says it uses enrollment numbers to establish a school’s classification that has stood the test of time for decades. It also states there is general view that enrollment numbers may not clearly indicate equal competition factors and there should be additional items that need to be considered in the classification process to keep athletic competition in balance, like transfers and success on the field.