High Schools Discussion

[NorthernBison]

Williston was adding something like 52 teachers this Fall. I think the boom is starting to add school age kids. Typical delay for this kind of growth.

[GRAFTONBISON]

No problem. ND High School sports is messed up and might get worse. These football numbers are hard to deal with so there are 4 classes. It's really almost a bigger problem for the other sports. I don't like the 3 class proposals for things like basketball but that might be the old codger in me.

An example is Grafton. Sorry if anybody from Grafton takes exception to this but they have no business being Class B. They are well aware of the numbers too because they have, in the past, resisted coops because the enrollment change would have forced a Class change. I talked to a guy from Grafton who said they have Senior Boys this year who have already been to 9 State Tournaments. That's crazy.

What's the answer? Not too many Class B schools can compete with Grafton. You could move them up to Class A but then Grafton would quickly have to learn how to lose gracefully and their kids would basically have no shot in most sports. That's not fair either.

I know my comments might come across as "too soft and give everybody a prize" but the ultimate problem is that PROGRAMS don't survive because kids get discouraged and don't go out because they have no chance. That hurts everybody and the effects are long lasting. Lose a football program in a school or a baseball program and you pretty much NEVER get it back.

I really hope you are not discrediting the hard work this group of Senior Boys has put into all sports since they were in grade school.

What should the magic number for enrollment be then in your opinion?

[CAS4127]

Williston was adding something like 52 teachers this Fall. I think the boom is starting to add school age kids. Typical delay for this kind of growth.

The superintendent guesstimated an increase of 1200 students, turns out it was less than 300 from what I understand.

[NorthernBison]

I really hope you are not discrediting the hard work this group of Senior Boys has put into all sports since they were in grade school.

What should the magic number for enrollment be then in your opinion?

Used Grafton as an example of the wide discrepancy across the State. If anything it supports the Three class proposals that have been floated. I haven't really wanted to see it change but I understand where it comes from.

Most of Class B can't compete with Grafton just like Grafton would get bitch slapped in Class A. There are Class B schools that have NEVER been to State Tournaments in basketball. Grafton isn't the only one at the top of Class B either. Look at the last five years of State qualifiers for all sports and see how many repeats there are. If virtually every sport (boys and girls) is making it, then chalk it up to a numbers advantage. If it's because of a special group of athletes (Like North Star) or a particular strong program (Langdon volleyball) that shows up in a few sports but not across the board.

I have disliked the three class proposals but they will likely get more support. It would not be fair to push Grafton into Class A as it currently exists. Just as it isn't fair for a lot of Class B programs to compete against Grafton.

[GRAFTONBISON]

Used Grafton as an example of the wide discrepancy across the State. If anything it supports the Three class proposals that have been floated. I haven't really wanted to see it change but I understand where it comes from.

Most of Class B can't compete with Grafton just like Grafton would get bitch slapped in Class A. There are Class B schools that have NEVER been to State Tournaments in basketball. Grafton isn't the only one at the top of Class B either. Look at the last five years of State qualifiers for all sports and see how many repeats there are. If virtually every sport (boys and girls) is making it, then chalk it up to a numbers advantage. If it's because of a special group of athletes (Like North Star) or a particular strong program (Langdon volleyball) that shows up in a few sports but not across the board.

I have disliked the three class proposals but they will likely get more support. It would not be fair to push Grafton into Class A as it currently exists. Just as it isn't fair for a lot of Class B programs to compete against Grafton.

I would be fine with the 3 class proposals. My concern is how long before certain members are pushing for a 4 class system? And so, and so on.

[NorthernBison]

I would be fine with the 3 class proposals. My concern is how long before certain members are pushing for a 4 class system? And so, and so on.

Once the door is opened, that problem exists. There is a precedent for 3 since ND did have Class C at one time.

[bri-dog]

There will always be schools/teams that are "tweeners", but with three classes the gaps should be a bit smaller.

I watched the Legion baseball regional tournament (with NorthernBison) when I was back in ND a few weeks ago. Even though Nelson County (my nephew's team) gave Grafton a battle every time they played them, it was pretty much an uphill battle. Grafton also had a few kids from St. Thomas (I think that's right); Nelson County's starting shortstop was Babe Ruth age (15).

Not trying to take anything away from Grafton; they had a bunch of great hitters. Just tough for the smaller towns to compete with that.

[GRAFTONBISON]

There will always be schools/teams that are "tweeners", but with three classes the gaps should be a bit smaller.

I watched the Legion baseball regional tournament (with NorthernBison) when I was back in ND a few weeks ago. Even though Nelson County (my nephew's team) gave Grafton a battle every time they played them, it was pretty much an uphill battle. Grafton also had a few kids from St. Thomas (I think that's right); Nelson County's starting shortstop was Babe Ruth age (15).

Not trying to take anything away from Grafton; they had a bunch of great hitters. Just tough for the smaller towns to compete with that.

I can understand. Just wondering where it will end?

[NorthernBison]

I can understand. Just wondering where it will end?

It would probably end at 3 classes because there aren't enough programs to make more classes work (football is different).

Bri-dog hit the nail on the head with the comment about the gaps. That's really where the problems occur now. The bottom schools in Class A are too far from the top to compete and the bottom schools in B are too far from the Grafton, Carrington, Beulah types.

There are Class B Schools where the number of people in the TOWN are less than a CLASS in Grafton High School. That's not a comparison to prove anything because there are rural residents in those communities but it does illustrate where the small school drive for change is coming from.

[BadlandsBison]

Meh, I've only heard the 3 class push from basketball people. Would it then carry over to track and every other sport?

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