In an unusual move, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has reclassified two Rochester schools midyear.
As reported by the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, Monroe High School's principal said he's made the argument since 2022 that the Red Jackets and other members of the Rochester City School District are in the wrong Section V groups. Meanwhile, the student enrollment numbers for this school year at Edison Career & Technology High School have also been adjusted and go into effect immediately.
Enrollment figures are used by the NYSPHSAA and Section V to determine which classification or group a school's teams compete in. The goal is to have schools of a similar size or enrollment compete against each other.
"The Rochester City School District is committed to ensuring all student-athletes can participate in the sports they love in a fair and competitive environment," the district's executive director of physical education, athletics and health Camaron Johnson said in a statement, as reported by the Democrat & Chronicle.
"We continue to work closely with Section V and the NYSPHSAA to address the unique challenges of athletic classifications in urban districts like ours, creating opportunities for students to thrive both in the classroom and in sports, where they develop teamwork and discipline — skills essential for lifelong success."
According to James Johnson of the Democrat & Chronicle, the adjustments made by NYSPHSAA place most of Monroe winter sports teams in Class B. The majority of the fall sports teams at Monroe were in Class A, a group for larger schools, including the school's varsity football team, which won the 2023 Section V championship and advanced to the state semifinals while in Class B.
The fall sports teams at Edison and Monroe played in classifications in Section V based on the enrollment data announced by NYSPHSAA last fall.
Edison athletic director Chris Golamb said that based on the most recent enrollment number assigned to Edison the week of Nov. 17-23, the school's boys' basketball team is the only one that moves into another classification this winter. The Inventors go to AA from AAA.
