Hampshire to fight IHSA classification ruling

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Hampshire's administration is preparing to appeal a ruling by the Illinois High School Association concerning the classifications of its athletic programs.

The IHSA sent a letter to Hampshire earlier this month informing principal Chuck Bumbales that the school would be competing in larger classifications than initially forecast for the 2008-09 school year. The IHSA bases classification on a school's enrollment from the previous year.

Hampshire’s enrollment was 651 last Sept. 30 -- the date for determining the following year’s classification. That would place the Whip-Purs in Class A in the two-class system, Class 1A in the three-class system and Class 2A in the four-class system. The enrollment cutoff to move up in the class system is 754.

IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman has determined that because of a restructuring of School District 300, which includes Hampshire, Dundee-Crown and Jacobs high schools, that Hampshire’s enrollment will be 812. That thrusts Hampshire athletics into Class AA in the two-class system, 2A in the three-class system and 3A in the four-class system.

Hampshire, which will be moving into a brand-new building this fall, is expected to see an addition of 93 students from Jacobs. Also, 100 students from Dundee Middle School are expected to attend Hampshire as freshmen. Dundee Middle School has never fed into Hampshire High before, according to Bumbales.

"It's really a subjective matter," said Bumbales, who plans on attending an Aug. 18 meeting in Bloomington with Hampshire athletic director Dave Hicks and the IHSA Executive Board to appeal the decision. "We feel like we’re a great [IHSA] member school and we have compelling reasons to get a dispensation for one year."

Bumbales said the letter from the IHSA cited a bylaw concerning the closing of a school or a deactivation of a school in a neighboring district. Bumbales said Hampshire's situation is based on a restructuring of existing schools' attendance boundaries.

"We doubled our junior and senior class sizes and we're under the cutoff," said Bumbales. "We’ve had cordial conversations with the IHSA. We see it one way and they see it another."

Hickman said Hampshire’s case is a unique one and that it was brought to his attention by IHSA Assistant Executive Director Scott Johnson, an Elgin High School graduate. Hickman said Johnson learned of Hampshire’s increased enrollment after reading a newspaper article on the Internet.

"It’s pretty simple. With the influx of kids [Hampshire] is getting they are clearly over [the cutoff of 754]. Had we known earlier, sure, we would have made the decision earlier," Hickman said. "This is not something that hasn't happened in the past. We have to take into account what’s fair to the other schools around Hampshire."

When asked about similar situations, Hickman cited the Plainfield and Lincoln-Way districts. Those schools, however, split into new schools. Hampshire is merely moving into a new, bigger building.

Hickman added that "it probably would have helped the situation if [Hampshire officials] had" volunteered the information concerning the additional students from Jacobs and Dundee Middle School.

Hampshire enjoyed one of its most successful school years ever from an athletics standpoint in 2007-08. The Whip-Purs placed second in Class A in girls volleyball and girls soccer and the baseball team won its first-ever sectional title competing as a Class 2A school.

Bumbales noted that with such little notice Hampshire could be at a disadvantage.

"We have not beefed up our schedules, we just didn’t have that opportunity," he said. "We believe we worked within the protocol and met the [IHSA's] needs for information."

According to the IHSA Constitution Article 1.460: "The Executive Director shall have the authority and responsibility to investigate and decide all matters concerning eligibility, protests, by-laws or rules ..."

But, as Hickman told The Courier News on Wednesday, "Who knows? Maybe the board will see it differently than me."