MHSAA announces classification changes
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Nov. 29, 2002
The Mississippi High School Activities Association has announced its reclassification of schools for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years.
The division/region assignments are expected to be announced by next weekend.
As far as area schools are concerned, five are dropping to lower classifications, while only one is going to a higher class.
Wayne County leaves Class 5A to drop to Class 4A by a single student. Wayne County has 1,029 students in grades 9-12, while West Point moved up from Class 4A to Class 5A with 1,030.
That leaves Meridian as the only area 5A school. Meridian has 1,724 students and is the fifth largest high school in the state.
Class 5A ranges from 2,245 students at Harrison Central to West Point's 1,030.
Neshoba Central, Quitman, Louisville, Noxubee County, and Northeast Lauderdale remain in 4A.
While Wayne County is the largest 4A school, the smallest is Forrest County AHS with 534 students.
In Class 3A, West Lauderdale, Choctaw Central, Forest, Morton, Newton County, Carthage, and Southeast Lauderdale remain. Philadelphia and Heidelberg, however, will drop from 3A to 2A due to declining enrollments in the high school grades. At the other end, Lake moves up from Class 1A to 2A.
The largest school in 3A is Poplarville with 533 students, while the smallest is J.Z. George with 348.
Remaining in 2A are Clarkdale, Kemper County, Newton, Bay Springs, and Enterprise.
The largest 2A school is Mooreville with 342 students, while the smallest is Smithville with 212. Smithville has been in 1A.
Scott Central falls from 2A to 1A along with South Leake.
Remaining in 1A are Union, Sebastopol, Edinburg, Nanih Waiya, and Noxapater.
Coffeeville, Mize, and Puckett are the largest 1A schools with 211 students each. The smallest school is Mississippi School for the Blind with 24.
