Davenport appeals WIAA classification

DAVENPORT—The School District joined 11 others in challenging the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association on Class 2B athletics enrollment criteria.

The Davenport appeal was filed Dec. 22, with school officials reluctantly seeking a review of enrollment criteria in a quest to potentially drop into the 1B athletics classification.

The Davenport Gorillas are currently in the Northeast 2B league with Lind-Ritzville, Reardan, Colfax, Liberty and other schools.

WIAA classifies 2B schools as those with 105-224 high school students. Class 1B schools have 104 or less.

The letter comes after low athletic participation numbers prompted Davenport to play an independent 8-man football schedule in 2023.

The School Board unanimously expressed support of moving down during a meeting Monday, Dec. 18.

“It would have been our preference that we stay 2B to honor our league,” Superintendent Chad Prewitt said.

Davenport High School’s enrollment numbers fall within the 2B classification, but the district is arguing the number of available athletes is substantially reduced because many students are unable to participate in athletics for religious reasons.

“We would not be petitioning down if the numbers weren’t what they were,” Athletic Director Tim Rasmussen said.

Separate challenge

Davenport joined Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Bridgeport, Liberty Bell, Lind-Ritzville, Manson, Northwest Christian (Colbert), Saint George’s, Upper Columbia Academy, Waterville and Wilbur-Creston in challenging the interpretation of the WIAA handbook regarding counting of alternative school students toward athletic classification numbers.

Those schools filed their appeal Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Under the current WIAA rules, students participating in sports at a school with athletics, but attend alternative schools without sports programs, are not counted toward the classification count.

Davenport’s administration is frustrated that those students aren’t counted, but students unable to compete are counted.

Appealing schools argue that leads to a skewed system allowing schools like Okanogan to dominate athletics.

They also argue that it allows much larger schools, such as Liberty Bell, to opt down, negatively affecting much small districts.

They point out that since Liberty Bell opted down, it has won two consecutive state 1B football championships.

“The classification is broken. It has been for quite some time,” Wilbur-Creston Athletic Director Darin Reppe said. “The hope is that they take a look at some of these numbers.”