Private schools face new vote in enrollment debate

A private matter will be put to a public vote in April when Missouri high schools consider an enrollment multiplier.

The issue found the spring Missouri State High Schools Activities Association ballot after a petition gathered the required signatures for a vote.

Not making the ballot is the issue of whether MSHSAA members can play non-MSHSAA members in sports. The MSHSAA included the issue on a questionnaire circulated to members, but less than 50 percent of the schools favored the matter. The measure would have allowed area schools Eagle Ridge and New Salem to play MSHSAA opponents.

But the multiplier will be voted on and could have a big impact on private schools around the state, including Notre Dame Regional High School. The proposal calls for a private school's actual enrollment to be multiplied by 1.35 for classification purposes.

The vote appears to be another attempt by public schools to take away real or perceived advantages of private schools. Public schools often complain of an unlevel playing field, citing private schools' capability of drawing from a larger area which opens the door to recruiting.

During the mid-'90s, with private schools winning a proportion of state titles higher than their makeup of Missouri schools, a vote failed that would have established separate public and private state tournaments.

"This isn't as harsh as that," Notre Dame athletic director Chris Janet said, "but it's still not fair."

MSHSAA executive director Becky Oakes said she doesn't believe the multiplier is directed in the same way as the previous failed proposal. Oakes said programs offered by public schools allow for part-time students that affect enrollment numbers.

"It's a way to minimize some of those differences," Oakes said of the multiplier. "It's about how enrollment gets counted and how to make it fair between schools without the same factors."

Notre Dame, a Class 2A school this year, has an enrollment of 444. With the expansion to five classes next year, it will move to 3A. If the multiplier passes, the school would move to 4A with a reconfigured enrollment of 599.

Janet saw Notre Dame's girls basketball team win its first ever female state title of any kind last weekend, the sixth overall in the school's 75-year history.

"If Notre Dame has recruited athletes, we would have won a lot more state championships than we've won," Janet said.

In terms of sheer public to private numbers, the deck is stacked in favor of public schools in a majority vote. Of the 573 MSHSAA members, less than 90 are private.

"We have a real good relationship with Notre Dame," Central athletic director Terry Kitchen said, "but I think there are schools that will probably have a bit of a vendetta and will say, 'Hey, we're going to vote against them.' But I think it will be a close vote."

If it does pass, both Kitchen and Janet anticipate a legal battle.

Janet said it could promote the problem it's addressing.

"If they start doing things like that, you're forcing private schools to possibly recruit," Janet said. "If they think some of these schools are violating rules now, and you're forcing schools to play up a class, are you going to force schools to recruit in order to be competitive with the people they're playing with?"

Ballots will be mailed to MSHSAA members the first week of April and must returned by the first week of May.

Disappearing act

Marquand's on-again, off-again baseball program is off again.

After an absence for several years, baseball returned to Marquand last year, but was dropped this spring when only six players -- one female -- tried out.

"Baseball is just not real popular," Marquand athletic director Jason McMurry said. "It's kind of a basketball town You never have problems finding a basketball team around here."

McMurry, also the basketball coach, said the school, with an enrollment of around 80, may try baseball again next year.

While baseball may come back, McMurry won't. He plans to leave the school to enter the ministry.

Mules lose coach

Poplar Bluff is in the market for a football coach after Mark Barousse made a surprise announcement that he was leaving the school to return to coach his alma mater in Lafayette, Lousiana.

The Mules thrived under Barousse, compiling a 34-18 record in his five seasons.

Jeff Breer is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.