Current 8th graders like Maya Toomey-Stout (3) and Scout Smith (2) now know Coupeville will be a 1A school for their entire high school run. (John Fisken photo)
It’s a done deal. Well, 99% done.
Coupeville High School will remain a 1A school for the next four years, and so will the three other schools who joined the Wolves to form the 1A Olympic League in 2014.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released its 2016-2020 enrollment figures Thursday, with final approval set to come when their executive board meets Jan. 24-25.
After years of doing classification counts every two years, the WIAA is changing that to every four years beginning this year.
Two years ago, Coupeville was the smallest true 1A school in the state, but it no longer holds that distinction.
With 227 students in grades 9-11, it is now the 6th smallest, with Columbia (Burbank) inheriting smallest status with 214.50 students.
Schools can choose to opt up (but not down), and eight schools with 2B numbers decided to do just that, so, technically, CHS has the 52nd biggest student body of the 65 schools which will compete in 1A.
Coupeville’s three league mates all remained in 1A, as well, though Klahowya came close to not making the cut.
The Eagles slid in just under the line, and they will be the 2nd biggest 1A school with 445.07 students.
Port Townsend has 278.25, which is way down from two years ago, and Chimacum sits at 250.38.
As the WIAA dots the I’s and crosses the T’s, there is still one thing to keep an eye on.
Across the state, schools are jumping leagues, either because of moving up or sliding down a level, or for other reasons.
The Everett Herald is reporting the four 2A schools from Coupeville’s former league, the 2A/1A Cascade Conference, are joining up with schools from the Northwest Conference, such as Anacortes, to form a 12-team “super conference” for football only.
That would leave the conference’s four 1A schools — King’s, South Whidbey, Sultan and Cedar Park Christian-Bothell — on their own, at least for the biggest revenue sport.
Whether that could help prod South Whidbey to seek out a chance to rejoin Coupeville is unknown at this time.
If the 1A Olympic League were to expand (Forks has been frequently mentioned in the past, as well), the league could set itself up for more playoff berths in all sports.
Only time will tell, though.
Until then, it’s all just gossip. Juicy, juicy gossip to fill up the day.
To see the final, almost-official WIAA figures, pop over to:
Coupeville Sports 
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