Private, public school change could face vote

The classification of private schools could be coming to vote before Missouri high schools this spring.

Kent Summers, associate executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, said his office has recently received a petition request for an amendment that addresses the classification process for private schools. The petition seeks to have private schools' actual enrollments to be increased 50 percent on paper for school-size classification.

Under the petition, a school with an actual enrollment of 300 students would be considered to have 450 students.

Summers said to his knowledge the petition has not yet been circulated.

"The petition would have to be in my office by March 15 and have the appropriate number of signatures," said Summers. "About 50 to 60 schools would have to sign it to make the ballot."

Ballots will be mailed in April and are required to be returned by May 4.

If it does make the ballot, it won't be the first time private schools will have faced a vote. In the mid-'90s, a vote failed that would have established separate public and private state tournaments.

According to Bruce Whitehead, an administrative assistant for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, should such an amendment pass, it could set off a legal battle.

"The problem is you have different standards for private and public," said Whitehead. "In court, that probably won't hold up."

Question of class

The much-anticipated reclassification of high schools for the next two years is scheduled to be finalized in March.

The existing system has four classes with the exception of football, which has five. The new system will have five classes for such sports as basketball, and will increase football to six classes.

Last week the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education still lacked enrollment figures from 14 schools. Once DESE finalizes its reports, it will release the data to MSHSAA, which will break schools into classes and make district football assignments.

With more state titles to be won and schools assigned to classes closer to their own size, it should be an improvement over the old system. The classification of area schools will be interesting to see.

Drummond receives honor

Thomas Drummond of Cape Girardeau has been selected the 2001-02 National Federation Officials Association Softball Official of the Year in Missouri.

Drummond, who has been umpiring fast-pitch high school softball for 15 years, will receive the award March 17 in Columbia, Mo.

"It's a great honor," said Drummond. "There are a lot of umpires out there that could of won that same award."

Drummond, who retired as a first sergeant in the Army, teaches Junior ROTC at New Madrid County High School during the day.

He's also been a high school basketball official in the area since moving to Cape Girardeau in 1992.

"It's been a lot of fun," said Drummond. "Mainly I've been there for the kids to teach competition and sportsmanship."

Jeff Breer is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian