Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 15, 1994 TAG: 9406160012
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
It took three meetings and three straw votes in one day, but it appears there finally is a workable plan to balance Southwest Virginia's Group AA high school regions.
It won't be official until later this year, but representatives of Regions III and IV took a big step toward solving this problem at a meeting Tuesday by basically agreeing that the Blue Ridge District schools - Salem, Northside, Alleghany, Lord Botetourt, Rockbridge County and William Byrd - will move from Region III to Region IV as a district starting with the 1996-97 school year.
There are 12 teams in Region IV and 27 in Region III. The Virginia High School League's reclassification committee had essentially told the two regions to come up with a more equitable split or it might be done for them.
When it appeared the Blue Ridge District didn't want to move, four Henry County schools - Bassett, Laurel Park, Fieldale-Collinsville and Magna Vista - joined Patrick County and Martinsville in agreeing to move from Region III to Region IV. Then, Tunstall, Dan River and Chatham said they wanted to come along from Pittsylvania County.
Region IV officials held the first meeting Tuesday, but they appeared to be making no headway on two proposals. One had the Blue Ridge District coming into Region IV with the formation of two districts - probably eight and 10 teams. The other proposal had the nine Piedmont District schools moving to Region IV.
The opening of the Region IV meeting was wild. One school, Richlands, proposed that any teams coming from Region III to IV be required to pay $500,000 for the right to do so. There was no support for that proposal and it never came up again.
When it appeared there was no movement on realignment, Christiansburg principal George Porterfield put five proposals on the floor - all of which had the Blue Ridge instead of the Piedmont schools moving to Region IV.
Straw votes were taken on two of those proposals and neither passed. It was clear, though, that Region IV schools preferred working through any problems with the Blue Ridge District to adding Piedmont schools.
At a meeting of both regions, a straw vote was taken again to determine whether the Blue Ridge or the Piedmont schools would move. There were 18 affirmative votes for the Blue Ridge District and none for the Piedmont District. Representatives of the Piedmont schools then left the meeting.
After lunch, the final straw vote was taken on three proposals. With the Blue Ridge not voting because the district would remain intact under all three proposals, the rest of Region IV came up with seven votes for a proposal to place the three New River District schools - Carroll County, Blacksburg and Christiansburg - with Richlands, Tazewell, Grundy and Graham of the Southwest District. The Highlands District - Marion, Gate City, Lee, Virginia High and Abingdon - would remain intact as the region's third district.
Blacksburg and Christiansburg were the only votes for a proposal that would have placed them with the Blue Ridge schools while Carroll County joined the Southwest District.
Bob Patterson, William Byrd's principal, suggested the schools discuss the proposals with their superintendents.
The schools had to compromise to reach this point. Carroll County and Lee, facing the most travel among the current Region IV teams, agreed to do what the other schools decided was best in balancing the two regions.
However, Christiansburg and Blacksburg were adamant about joining the Blue Ridge District schools rather than the Southwest District schools, and that could be a sticking point.
It is apparent the Blue Ridge District - in one form or another -will be a member of Region IV for the 1996-97 school year.
by CNB