SCHSL releases classifications for 2024-26 realignment

       Sumter – The new multiplier rule implemented by the South Carolina High School League for reclassification for the 2024-26 school years to try and help rectify a perceived competitive imbalance between charter and private schools and public schools – for football in particular -- has apparently had the desired effect.

       Two-time defending Class A football state champion Christ Church Episcopal School will be competing at the AAAA level beginning next season. Sister charter schools Gray Collegiate Academy and Oceanside Collegiate Academy, who played for the AA football state title, will both move up. Oceanside, the defending champion, will play at AAA next season, while Gray, which had its Region 4-AA foes forfeit all of the games against it in protest of the competitive imbalance, will be playing at AAAA.

       Southside Christian School and St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Greenville County schools and members of Region 1-Class A like Christ Church, will also be members of AAA.

       The SCHSL released the five classifications on Tuesday based on the 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11 to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier for students who come from outside of a school’s attendance zone. The multiplier takes each student who lives outside of a school’s assigned attendance zone and counts it as three for total enrollment purposes.

       Also, consideration was given to geographics and travel in the placement of schools in the classifications.

       “Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.”

The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 18-19 of 2024 to hear appeals regarding the classification placements.

AAAAA will have 54 schools that will be split by enrollment for all sports and will crown two state champions because of the wide gap of enrollment size within the classification.

Dorman is the largest school in the state with a total enrollment of 3,106. The smallest school in AAAAA is Catawba Ridge with an enrollment of 1,319.

AAAA will have 46 schools, AAA will have 38, AA will have 40 schools and Class A will have 45 schools.

Class AAAAA Total Enrollment

1 Dorman High School 3,106

2 Carolina Forest High School 2,800

3 Summerville High School 2,623

4 James F. Byrnes High School 2,540

5 Spring Valley High School 2,502

6 Stratford High School 2,312

7 Ashley Ridge High School 2,300

8 Boiling Springs High School 2,262

9 Lexington High School 2,169

10 Clover High School 2,107

11 West Ashley High School 2,106

12 Wando High School 2,100

13 Sumter High School 2,054

14 Cane Bay High School 1,980

15 Mauldin High School 1,978

16 James Island Charter High School 1,968

17 Ridge View High School 1,909

18 Blythewood High School 1,901

19 J. L. Mann High School 1,887

20 Spartanburg High School 1,883

21 River Bluff High School 1,882

22 Fort Dorchester High School 1,858

23 R. B. Stall High School 1,844

24 Rock Hill High School 1,833

25 Wade Hampton High School 1,833

26 Dutch Fork High School 1,823

27 Socastee High School 1,741

28 Hillcrest High School 1,699

29 Woodmont High School 1,693

30 Goose Creek High School 1,685

31 Conway High School 1,670

32 Westwood High School 1,664

33 White Knoll High School 1,664

34 Greenville High School 1,655

35 Berkeley High School 1,644

36 Chapin High School 1,643

37 Eastside High School 1,633

38 Easley High School 1,626

39 T. L. Hanna High School 1,614

40 Fort Mill High School 1,605

41 St. James High School 1,596

42 Greenwood High School 1,587

43 West Florence High School 1,558

44 Gaffney High School 1,556

45 Northwestern High School 1,534

46 Indian Land High School 1,492

47 Nation Ford High School 1,485

48 Lugoff-Elgin High School 1,484

49 Riverside High School 1,463

50 Lucy Garrett Beckham High School 1,450

51 Irmo High School 1,440

52 North Myrtle Beach High School 1,420

53 Myrtle Beach High School 1,362

54 Catawba Ridge High School 1,319

Class AAAA Total Enrollment

1 North Augusta High School 1,411

2 May River High School 1,407

3 Richland Northeast High School 1,400

4 Westside High School 1,379

5 South Florence High School 1,358

6 Midland Valley High School 1,326

7 Gray Collegiate Academy High School 1,296

8 South Pointe High School 1,275

9 Travelers Rest High School 1,274

10 Bluffton High School 1,262

11 Dreher High School 1,246

12 Laurens District 55 High School 1,241

13 South Aiken High School 1,236

14 Airport High School 1,232

15 Fountain Inn High School 1,227

16 Greer High School 1,226

17 Aiken High School 1,220

18 York Comprehensive High School 1,210

19 A. C. Flora High School 1,208

20 Fox Creek High School 1,177

21 Wilson High School 1,158

22 Beaufort High School 1,156

23 Berea High School 1,147

24 Colleton County High School 1,139

25 Pickens High School 1,137

26 Greenville Tech Charter High School 1,131

27 Lancaster High School 1,118

28 Brookland-Cayce High School 1,114

29 Lower Richland High School 1,109

30 Bishop England High School 1,099

31 Greer Middle College Charter High School 1,090

32 D. W. Daniel High School 1,084

33 Hilton Head Island High School 1,050

34 Hartsville High School 1,049

35 Wren High School 1,045

36 Southside High School 1,042

37 Blue Ridge High School 1,037

38 Gilbert High School 1,027

39 York Preparatory Academy High School 991

40 Emerald High School 990

41 Camden High School 966

42 Seneca High School 958

43 Darlington High School 956

44 Christ Church Episcopal High School 952

45 Crestwood High School 946

AAA Total Enrollment

1 American Leadership Academy High School 934

2 Georgetown High School 933

3 Chapman High School 929

4 Palmetto High School 929

5 Walhalla High School 888

6 Hanahan High School 874

7 Marlboro County High School 874

8 North Charleston High School 873

9 Powdersville High School 869

10 W. J. Keenan High School 866

11 Union County High School 857

12 Belton-Honea Path High School 851

13 Carolina Academy High School 851

14 Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School 849

15 Brashier Middle College Charter High School 840

16 Aynor High School 828

17 Oceanside Collegiate Academy High School 814

18 High Point Academy High School 808

19 Swansea High School 801

20 Loris High School 777

21 Landrum High School 776

22 GREEN Upstate High School 770

23 Waccamaw High School 770

24 Battery Creek High School 769

25 Mountain View Preparatory Charter High School 768

26 Pendleton High School 764

27 Broome High School 753

28 Horse Creek Academy High School 751

29 St. Joseph's Catholic High School 748

30 Crescent High School 724

31 Woodruff High School 724

32 Bridges Preparatory High School 689

33 Silver Bluff High School 686

34 West-Oak High School 686

35 Dillon High School 683

36 Southside Christian High School 676

37 Newberry High School 673

38 Charleston Charter Math & Science High School 672

AA Total Enrollment

1 Lake City High School 655

2 Strom Thurmond High School 654

3 Chesnee High School 633

4 Clinton High School 625

5 Manning High School 613

6 Chester High School 610

7 Columbia High School 609

8 Philip Simmons High School 608

9 Saluda High School 601

10 Liberty High School 580

11 Timberland High School 580

12 Academic Magnet High School 572

13 Pelion High School 572

14 Blacksburg High School 566

15 Woodland High School 562

16 Lake Marion High School 559

17 Mid-Carolina High School 554

18 Cheraw High School 553

19 Andrew Jackson High School 552

20 Kingstree High School 551

21 Edisto High School 550

22 Central High School 549

23 Eau Claire High School 543

24 North Central High School 540

25 Hampton County High School 533

26 Andrews High School 518

27 Mullins High School 516

28 Buford High School 511

29 Fairfield Central High School 506

30 Marion High School 499

31 Batesburg-Leesville High School 481

32 Barnwell High School 474

33 Ninety Six High School 473

34 Atlantic Collegiate Academy High School 470

35 Burke High School 469

36 Chesterfield High School 463

37 Palmetto Scholars Academy High School 455

38 Whale Branch Early College High School 437

39 East Clarendon High School 406

40 Abbeville High School

Class A Total Enrollment

1 Latta High School 396

2 St. John's High School 387

3 Carvers Bay Early College High School 384

4 Dixie High School 362

5 Hannah Pamplico High School 358

6 Lewisville High School 349

7 Johnsonville High School 337

8 C. A. Johnson High School 336

9 Green Sea Floyds High School 335

10 Lee Central High School 334

11 Lake View High School 329

12 Calhoun County High School 323

13 Riverwalk Academy High School 323

14 Ridgeland Secondary High School 322

15 Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School 316

16 McBee High School 311

17 Hardeeville High School 288

18 Ridge Spring-Monetta High School 280

19 Baptist Hill High School 279

20 Allendale-Fairfax High School 246

21 Lamar High School 229

22 Great Falls High School 225

23 Ware Shoals High School 225

24 Wagener-Salley High School 215

25 Lowcountry Leadership Charter High School 212

26 Thornwell Charter High School 210

27 Williston-Elko High School 192

28 Military Magnet Academy High School 184

29 Bethune-Bowman High School 176

30 McCormick High School 171

31 Royal Live Oaks Academy High School 163

32 Whitmire Community High School 151

33 Governor's School for Science and Mathematics High School 150

34 Branchville High School 149

35 Cross High School 149

36 Scott's Branch High School 149

37 Hemingway High School 145

38 Denmark Olar High School 142

39 Polaris Tech Charter High School 128

40 Blackville-Hilda High School 122

41 North High School 118

42 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School 112

43 Calhoun Falls Charter High School 83

44 Midlands STEM Institute High School 63

45 SC School For Deaf & Blind High School 39