All these Coupeville students will play their high school athletic days in the 2B classification. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Nothing is official yet, but it looks like the Northwest 2B/1B League is shifting from a conference led by 1B schools to one dominated by 2B institutions.
If so, that’s a win for Coupeville.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association reclassifies schools every four years, with the next cycle covering 2024-2028.
The first numbers were released Tuesday, and they show Coupeville, Friday Harbor, and La Conner remaining as 2B schools, with the latter barely squeaking through.
At the same time, Mount Vernon Christian and Orcas Island will likely move up from 1B to 2B, leaving just Darrington and Concrete as 1B schools.
With the NWL going from a 3-4 setup to a 5-2 setup in favor of its larger schools, that creates increased playoff opportunities for the 2B schools.
The state’s classifications place schools with 1-104 students in 1B, and 105-224 in 2B.
To determine classification, the WIAA takes average enrollment, then applies what it calls “Direct Certification” to account for the number of students in a district eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Two of seven NWL schools — La Conner and Concrete — have a high enough “Direct Certification” number to have their enrollment reduced.
That made it close for La Conner, as, once the reduction was added, it finished just four-and-a-half students above the cutoff for 1B.
La Conner can appeal its classification or petition to play down in football only, and that deadline is Dec. 22.
LHS Athletic Director Christine Tripp declined comment on whether the Braves will opt to go that route.
Appeals will be heard Jan. 18-19, with classification numbers officially approved by the WIAA Executive Board Jan. 21.
The official classification cycle begins Aug. 1, 2024, and covers the next four school years.
Oh, and any hopes of South Whidbey’s enrollment sliding far enough to give it a chance to join Coupeville in the NWL seems like a no-go.
Current numbers have the Langley folks at 273.63 students, which would keep SWHS as one of the smaller 1A schools in the state and likely bound together with rivals like King’s, Granite Falls, and Cedar Park Christian.
And the big school to the North? Oak Harbor is at 1,179.88 students, which keeps it firmly in 3A.
Average enrollment for NWL schools as of Dec. 5:
Coupeville — 192.50
Friday Harbor — 185.63
Mount Vernon Christian — 134.63
Orcas Island — 123.00
La Conner — 108.36 (129.00 pre adjustment)
Concrete — 87.31 (93.88 pre adjustment)
Darrington — 85.38
Coupeville Sports 